Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act
This bill temporarily allows, subject to scope of practice and other requirements, a health care professional to provide in-person and telehealth services in any U.S. jurisdiction based on that individual's authorization to practice in any one state or territory.
Specifically, health care professionals may provide these services in jurisdictions other than where they are licensed, certified, or authorized to practice for up to 180 days after the end of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency. In addition, the bill provides certain authorities to health care professional regulatory bodies, such as medical boards, to investigate and take disciplinary actions against a professional who provides telehealth services to a patient in that organization's jurisdiction pursuant to this bill.
The bill also permits the Department of Health and Human Services to similarly expand the authority of health care professionals to provide these services in the event of future major disasters or emergencies.