Pilot program for teleconsultation

Part D of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.), is amended by inserting after section 330A–3, as added by section 3, the following: 330A–4. Pilot program for teleconsultation (a) In general The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration and in consultation with the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall award grants or cooperative agreements to States, political subdivisions of States, and Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations (as such terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act) to support the provision of urgent maternal health care in rural facilities without a dedicated obstetric unit, including by— (1) supporting the development of statewide or regional maternal health care telehealth access programs; and (2) supporting the improvement of existing statewide or regional maternal health care telehealth access programs described in subsection (b). (b) Statewide or regional maternal health care telehealth access programs A maternal health care telehealth access program described in this section, with respect to which an award under subsection (a) may be used, shall— (1) be a statewide or regional network of maternal health care teams that provide urgent support to rural non-obstetric settings of care; (2) support and further develop organized State or regional networks of maternal health care teams to provide urgent consultative support to rural non-obstetric settings of care; (3) conduct an assessment of urgent maternal health consultation needs among providers in rural non-obstetric settings of care; (4) provide assurances that the physicians responsive to the tele-consultation line are credentialed within their employing facility and can provide consultation where the patient is receiving care consistent with State requirements to provide care to individuals experiencing labor, delivery, obstetric hemorrhage, severe hypertension in pregnancy and postpartum, cardiac conditions related to or exacerbated by pregnancy, perinatal mental health conditions, substance use during pregnancy or the postpartum period, sepsis during pregnancy or after pregnancy end, or other conditions, as appropriate; (5) provide rapid statewide or regional clinical telephone or telehealth consultations when requested between the maternal care teams and providers in rural emergency non-obstetric settings; and (6) provide information to health care providers about available maternal health services for people in the community and assist with referrals to specialty care and community or behavioral health resources. (c) Reporting An entity receiving an award under this section shall submit a report to the Secretary, in such manner and containing such information as the Secretary may require, not later than 18 months after initial receipt of the grant. (d) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2026 through 2029..