# 117-hr-8497: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished through telehealth and telecommunications technology.

117-hr-8497, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished through telehealth and telecommunications technology., is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1] (R-OK); status Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-8497
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-hr-8497
- Congress: 117
- Title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished through telehealth and telecommunications technology.
- Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced: 2022-07-26
- Sponsor: Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1] (R-OK)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

This bill permanently removes in-person evaluation requirements for mental health telehealth services under Medicare.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT] (R-UT), 2022-07-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2] (R-NE), 2022-07-26T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 117-hr-1448: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
- 117-hr-3537: Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
- 117-hr-5142: To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, during the evacuation…
- 117-hr-8913: TCJA Permanency Act
- 117-hr-8814: Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act
- 117-hr-7966: STOP II Act

## Sources
- [117-hr-8497 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8497)

## Related
- [117-hr-1448: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1448)
- [117-hr-3537: Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-3537)
- [117-hr-5142: To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servi…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5142)
- [117-hr-8913: TCJA Permanency Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-8913)
- [117-hr-8814: Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-8814)
- [117-hr-7966: STOP II Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-7966)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-8497 (as of 2025-11-18).