PUBLIC LAW 105-33—AUG. 5, 1997 111 STAT. 381 (B) COSTS THAT MAY BE INCLUDED. —The costs described in this subparagraph are the permissible costs (as recognized by the Secretary) for the following: (i) The acquisition of telemedicine equipment for use in patients' homes (but only in the case of patients located in medically underserved areas). (ii) Curriculum development and training of health professionals in medical informatics and telemedicine. (iii) Payment of telecommunications costs (including salaries and maintenance of equipment), including costs of telecommunications between patients' homes and the eligible network and between the network and other entities under the arrangements described in subsection (c)(1). (iv) Payments to practitioners and providers under the medicare programs. (C) COSTS NOT INCLUDED.—The costs described in this subparagraph are costs for any of the following: (i) The purchase or installation of transmission equipment (other than such equipment used by health professionals to deliver medical informatics services under the project). (ii) The establishment or operation of a telecommunications common carrier network. (iii) Construction (except for minor renovations related to the installation of reimbursable equipment) or the acquisition or building of real property. (3) LIMITATION.— The total amount of the payments that may be made under this section shall not exceed $30,000,000 for the period of the project (described in subsection (a)(4)). (4) LIMITATION ON COST-SHARING. —The project may not impose cost sharing on a medicare beneficiary for the receipt of services under the project in excess of 20 percent of the costs that are reasonable and related to the provision of such services. (e) REPORTS.— The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate interim reports on the project and a final report on the project within 6 months after the conclusion of the project. The final report shall include an evaluation of the impact of the use of telemedicine and medical informatics on improving access of medicare beneficiaries to health care services, on reducing the costs of such services, and on improving the quality of life of such beneficiaries, (f) DEFINITIONS.— For purposes of this section: (1) INTERVENTIONAL INFORMATICS. —The term "interventional informatics" means using information technology and virtual reality technology to intervene in patient care. (2) MEDICAL INFORMATICS.—The term "medical informatics" means the storage, retrieval, and use of biomedical and related information for problem solving and decision-making through computing and communications technologies. (3) PROJECT.— The term "project" means the demonstration project under this section.
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