Trending in Telehealth highlights monthly state legislative and regulatory developments that impact the healthcare providers, telehealth and digital health companies, pharmacists, and technology companies that deliver and facilitate the delivery of virtual care.

Trending in March:

• Expansion of telehealth across additional professions (veterinary medicine, genetic counseling, social work, naturopathic medicine).
• Licensure flexibility and cross‑state practice, including reciprocity and compacts.
• Telehealth integration into emergency, rural, and specialty-care models.

A CLOSER LOOK

Proposed legislation and rulemaking:

• Both chambers of the Virginia legislature passed HB 1391 establishing a Sickle Cell Coordinated Access Network, which among other things, would allow specialists to provide telehealth consultations on pain management, treatment protocols, and care coordination.
• In Florida, both chambers passed SB 688, which would revise existing laws related to naturopathic medicine, including adding licensed naturopathic doctors to the term “telehealth provider.”
• In West Virginia, the first chamber passed SB 677 allowing genetic counselors to provide telehealth services.
• In Colorado, the first chamber passed HB 1069, clarifying that “emergency services” includes transportation of an individual to an appropriate location other than a hospital or community integrated healthcare service agency. The use of telemedicine when an insured person has encountered an ambulance service or agency to prevent the need to transport the person to an emergency department is included in the definition of “emergency services,” which services are required to be made available to insured persons 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
• The first chamber of the Hawaii legislature passed HB 2558 aimed at addressing Hawaii’s physician shortage by allowing out-of-state doctors to establish initial physician-patient relationship with Hawaii residents through telehealth services under certain conditions.
• Both chambers of the Georgia legislature passed HB 1195 amending Georgia law to allow licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians to practice telemedicine, teleadvice, and teletriage without requiring an established veterinarian client patient relationship.
• The first chamber of the Arizona legislature passed SB 1286 permitting veterinarians to establish a client-patient relationship through electronic means.
• In Hawaii, the first chamber passed HB 1871, which would establish the Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program within the state Department of Health to offer eligible participants improved maternal healthcare through remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes.
• Both chambers of the Kentucky legislature passed HB 424, which regulates the provision of social work services via telehealth in Kentucky by clarifying that social work may be practiced in person, through telehealth, or through other technology, but only by appropriately licensed individuals, those holding a temporary permit, or practitioners authorized under the Social Work Licensure Compact. The bill defines “telehealth” by reference to existing Kentucky law and establishes detailed requirements for telehealth practice, including informed consent, confidentiality, accessibility for individuals with disabilities, proper use of HIPAA‑compliant technology, identity and location verification, documentation, and adherence to the same standards of care as in‑person services. It also addresses cross‑border telehealth by permitting licensed out‑of‑state and multistate practitioners to provide services to Kentucky clients.
• The Board of [...]
  
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