S. 1248 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Apr 2, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExpands telehealth specialty care in rural areas
The bill tells Medicare and Medicaid to test a new program that lets rural patients see specialty doctors remotely. It requires them to set up a network of at least 50 rural clinics and hospitals to provide this care using telehealth technology, with coordination between specialists and patients' primary care doctors.
How it affects you
If you're a Medicare or Medicaid patient living in a rural area, you could gain easier access to specialty doctors without traveling long distances. Rural healthcare providers would be part of the program to help deliver this remote care.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Apr 2, 2025)
Ensuring Access to Specialty Care Everywhere Act or the EASE Act
This bill requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to test a model that uses a network of providers to remotely furnish specialty health care to Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries in rural areas.
To conduct the model, the CMMI must select at least one provider network that is a nonprofit entity and that consists of at least 50 federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, critical access hospitals, or rural emergency hospitals. At least half of the providers in the network must be located in rural areas. Providers must use digital methods (e.g., telehealth technology) to provide specialty care and must coordinate with beneficiaries' primary care providers.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 1248
A BILL
EASE Act
Sponsor: Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) · Introduced Apr 2, 2025 · Health · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 2, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.”