HR-7863 : Still Just a Bill

The bill H.R. 7863, introduced in the House of Representatives, addresses access to behavioral health services via telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries with limited English proficiency. Its primary directive is to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on several key areas within one year of the bill's enactment:

• Best practices for providers to utilize interpreters during video-based and audio-only telehealth sessions.
• Best practices for incorporating multi-person video call platforms into telehealth behavioral health services.
• Best practices for training patients, particularly those with limited English proficiency, on how to use video-based telehealth platforms.
• Best practices for providing patient materials, communications, and instructions in multiple languages, including appointment reminders and prescription information.