Trending in Telehealth: April 18 – 24, 2023

Trending in Telehealth is a series from the McDermott digital health team in which we highlight state legislative and regulatory developments that impact healthcare providers, telehealth and digital health companies, pharmacists and technology companies that deliver and facilitate virtual care.

Trending in the past week:

  • Interstate Compacts
  • Professional Practice Standards

A CLOSER LOOK

Finalized Legislation & Rulemaking

  • West Virginia enacted Final Rules that create telehealth standards of practice for nurse practitioners. The rules, among other standards, permit a nurse practitioner to use telemedicine technologies that incorporate interactive audio using store and forward technology, real-time videoconferencing, or similar secure video services or real-time audio-only calls to establish a practitioner-patient relationship during the initial provider-patient encounter.
  • Louisiana adopted rulemaking that establishes telepsychology and telesupervision standards.
  • Indiana enacted SB 73, which established the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact. The law becomes effective on July 1, 2023.
  • Montana enacted legislation, HB 777, to join the Counseling Compact.

Legislation & Rulemaking Activity in Proposal Phase

Highlights:

  • Montana progressed legislation to the governor to enact the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Compact (SB 214) and Occupational Therapy Compact (SB 155). Meanwhile, North Dakota progressed legislation to the Second Chamber (SB 2187) to enact the Counseling Compact.
  • Oregon introduced legislation (SB 232) that allows out-of-state physicians or physician assistants to provide care to patients located in Oregon in limited circumstances without obtaining full Oregon licensure or the equivalent telehealth licensure. These scenarios include emergencies (as defined by the Oregon Medical Board); consulting with another physician or physician assistant who is licensed in the state, so long as the out-of-state physician does not take on primary responsibility for diagnosis and treatment; providing care when the physician has an established relationship with the patient who is traveling for work, education or vacation; and in cases where the physician has an established relationship and is providing intermittent or temporary follow-up care. The bill further clarifies that the practice of medicine using telemedicine occurs where the patient is physically located.
  • Montana’s Senate passed HB 676 with amendments and sent the bill back to the state’s House of Representatives for reconciliation. The House of Representatives passed an earlier version of the bill on March 3, 2023. The bill enumerates fundamental parental rights with respect to children, including with respect to a child’s medical care, and requires a health professional to verify the identity of a parent who has given consent through telemedicine at the site where the consent is given.

Why it matters:

  • Elevated activity involving the adoption of interstate compacts continues. Many states are progressing legislation that would enact various licensure compacts across healthcare professions, easing burdens to licensure and reciprocity for professionals seeking to practice across state lines.
  • States continue to refine and adopt professional standards for telehealth practice. This week we saw increased adoption of telehealth practice [...]

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Trending in Telehealth: April 11 – 17, 2023

Trending in Telehealth is a series from the McDermott digital health team in which we highlight state legislative and regulatory developments that impact healthcare providers, telehealth and digital health companies, pharmacists and technology companies that deliver and facilitate virtual care.

Trending in the past week:

  • Interstate Compacts
  • Telehealth Coverage and Reimbursement
  • Informed Consent Standards

A CLOSER LOOK

Finalized Legislation & Rulemaking

  • In North Dakota, HB 1095 was enacted. The legislation requires health carriers to, in part, provide coverage for licensed pharmacists to provide comprehensive medication management, which may be provided via telehealth. North Dakota also enacted HB 1530, which requires that Medicaid cover asynchronous teledentistry.
  • Florida enacted SB 300. The legislation prohibits physicians from using telehealth to provide abortions or prescribe abortion-inducing medication. It also requires the physical in-person presence of a physician with a patient when an abortion is performed or when abortion-inducing medication is dispensed.

Legislation & Rulemaking Activity in Proposal Phase

Highlights:

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Trending in Telehealth: April 4 – 10, 2023

Trending in Telehealth is a new series from the McDermott digital health team in which we highlight state legislative and regulatory developments that impact healthcare providers, telehealth and digital health companies, pharmacists and technology companies that deliver and facilitate virtual care.

Trending in the past week:

  • Interstate Compacts
  • COVID-19 Extensions for Licensing
  • Behavioral Health

A CLOSER LOOK

Finalized Legislation & Rulemaking

  • In Tennessee, HB 729 was signed into law. Under the legislation, a physician available via telephone or telehealth meets the general supervision requirements for a speech language pathologist performing an endoscope. The law becomes effective on July 1, 2023.
  • In Kentucky, HB 311 was enacted. The legislation prohibits the Department for Medicaid Services and any Medicaid managed care organization from requiring that a health professional or medical group maintain a physical location or address in the state to be eligible for enrollment as a Medicaid provider if the provider or group exclusively offers services via telehealth.
  • In New Mexico, HB 384 requires the licensing board to issue a telemedicine license to applicants who hold a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in another state or territory of the United States. The board will establish by rule the requirements for licensure, provided that the requirements are not more restrictive than those required for expedited licensure.

Legislation & Rulemaking Activity in Proposal Phase

Highlights:

  • In Kansas (HB 2288), Missouri (SB 70), Montana (HB 777) and North Dakota (SB 2187), legislation to establish the Counseling Compact progressed. In Montana (SB 155) and Indiana (SB 73), legislation to enact the Occupational Therapy Compact progressed.
  • Florida introduced legislation (SB 300) that would prohibit physicians from using telehealth to provide abortions or prescribe abortion-inducing medication. It would also require the physical in-person presence of a physician with a patient when an abortion is performed or when abortion-inducing medication is dispensed.
  • Maryland progressed legislation (SB 582) that would extend until June 30, 2025, the inclusion of certain audio-only telephone conversations in the definition of “telehealth” in the Maryland Medical Assistance Program, as well as requirements related to reimbursement for telehealth services by the program and certain insurers, nonprofit health service plans and health maintenance organizations.
  • Georgia proposed legislation (SB 20) that would prohibit insurers from the following:
    • Requiring prior authorization, medical review or administrative clearance for a telehealth service that would not be required if such service were provided in person
    • Requiring demonstration that it is necessary to provide a service to a covered person through telehealth
    • Requiring a provider to be employed by another provider or agency in order to provide a telehealth service when such employment would not be required if the service were provided in person
    • Denying coverage solely based on the communication technology or application used
    • Requiring a [...]

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Trending in Telehealth : March 28 – April 3, 2023

Trending in Telehealth is a new series from the McDermott digital health team in which we highlight state legislative and regulatory developments that impact the healthcare providers, telehealth and digital health companies, pharmacists and technology companies that deliver and facilitate of virtual care.

Trending in the past week:

  • Interstate Compacts
  • COVID-19 Extensions for Licensing
  • Behavioral Health

A CLOSER LOOK

Finalized Legislation & Rulemaking

  • In Vermont, H 411 was signed into law. As noted in last week’s report, the bill extends Vermont’s telehealth registration for out-of-state healthcare professionals until a permanent telehealth licensure and registration system is operational. The registration, which was previously set to expire on June 30, 2023, provides a telehealth registration for out-of-state healthcare professionals who file an application and meet certain requirements to provide telehealth services in Vermont, which is more expeditious than the state’s licensure process. The registration is extended until March 31, 2024. The bill also extends certain enforcement discretion provisions. For example, the bill clarifies that the state will not penalize providers for using telehealth services that do not comply with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The bill states that the extension of these provisions is subject to federal law or guidance regarding enforcement discretion. Notably, federal HIPAA enforcement discretion is set to end on May 11, 2023, at the end of the federal public health emergency.
  • In Idaho, H 61 was signed into law and becomes effective on July 1, 2023. The bill allows a mental or behavioral health provider who is not licensed in Idaho to provide services via telehealth to an Idaho resident or person located in Idaho. The provider must meet certain qualifications, such as holding a current, valid and unrestricted license in another state with substantially similar requirements to Idaho and not being subject to any past or pending disciplinary proceedings. The provider must also biennially register in Idaho to provide telehealth services.
  • In Washington, SB 5036 was signed into law. As noted in last week’s report, the bill extends the timeframe in which real-time, audio-visual telemedicine services can be used to establish a provider-patient relationship for the purpose of providing audio-only telemedicine for certain healthcare services. Under the bill, a provider can use simultaneous audio and video technology to establish a provider-patient relationship through July 1, 2024, as opposed to the previous deadline of January 1, 2024. The bill suggests that after the 2024 deadline, a provider will need to see a patient in person within a certain time period to establish a provider-patient relationship.

Legislation & Rulemaking Activity in Proposal Phase

Highlights:

  • In Kansas (HB 2288), Oklahoma (SB 575) and North Dakota (SB 2187), legislation progressed to establish the Counseling Compact. In Indiana (SB 73) and Washington (HB 1001), legislation progressed to enact the Occupational Therapy Compact and the [...]

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Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Emergency: Tri-Agencies Issue FAQs to Assist Plans and Issuers

The Biden administration has announced its intent to end the COVID-19 National Emergency (NE) and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023 (read our prior article for more information). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers and agencies made legislative and regulatory changes to expand access to telehealth services for individuals. This article explores what will happen to these temporary telehealth benefits at the end of the PHE and NE.

Read the full report.




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