Telehealth trends focus on state legislative and regulatory developments impacting healthcare providers, telemedicine and digital health companies, pharmacists, and technology companies that provide and facilitate virtual care.
Trends over the past week:
- interstate highway compact
- Expansion of telemedicine
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Final legislation and rulemaking:
- In South Carolina, the governor signed H 4159, the South Carolina Telemedicine and Telehealth Modernization Act. This law establishes uniform baseline standards for all professionals licensed by state licensing boards who provide services via telehealth. The bill also amends provisions of the Medical Practice Act related to telemedicine to address ongoing telemedicine treatment provided by an out-of-state physician who is not licensed in South Carolina or only through telemedicine. This includes implementing standards (including evaluations) for licensees providing services. , record keeping, follow-up care and prescribing standards).
Proposal stage legislative and rulemaking activities:
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- in arizona, SB 1267 passed the first chamber. If passed, this bill would allow physical therapists to supervise physical therapy assistants through certain telehealth modalities.
- in colorado, HB 24-1048 passed both chambers. If enacted, this bill would specify that establishing a veterinarian-client-patient relationship requires an in-person physical examination of the animal and, if accessible by another veterinarian, the same physical exam. The relationship will be extended to other licensed veterinarians who share the same facility. I reviewed the patient's records. Additionally, with the customer's consent, veterinarians may provide veterinary services, including prescribing medications, via telemedicine to customers and patients in Colorado with an established veterinarian-client-patient relationship. become. This bill establishes record-keeping, confidentiality, and privacy requirements related to the use of telemedicine and authorizes the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine to issue regulations to further regulate the use of telemedicine. It also allows licensed veterinarians to use remote monitoring of veterinary staff if certain conditions are met.
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- in Hawaii, HB 2079 passed through the first chamber. This bill, if enacted, would, among other things, allow Hawaii-licensed practitioners to regulate Schedule III and IV drugs containing testosterone for the purpose of providing gender reassignment care while residing outside the state and unregulated. It becomes possible to prescribe substances. Conducting face-to-face examinations with patients, provided that physicians prescribe controlled substances via synchronous audiovisual telemedicine interactions.
- in idaho, HB 684 passed the first chamber. If passed, the bill would allow remote behavioral health services to be provided on public school campuses.
- in kentucky, SB 111 passed through the first chamber. If enacted, the bill would require health benefit plans, limited medical services benefit plans, Medicaid, and state health plans to cover speech therapy delivered via telehealth.
- in kentucky, SB 255 passed through the first chamber. If enacted, this bill would establish requirements and standards for providing social work services through telehealth.
- in mississippi, HB 177 and SB 2157 both passed the first chamber. If these bills become law, Mississippi would join the Dietetic Licensing Compact and the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, respectively.
- in oklahoma, HB 3330 passed through the first chamber. If enacted, this bill would require persons seeking renewal of behavioral health certifications or licenses issued by certain state boards to report information regarding their provider's use of telehealth.
- in oklahoma, HB 4041 passed the First Chamber. If enacted, this bill would amend the requirement that telemedicine dentists have an office in Oklahoma, so that the office is adjacent to Oklahoma and 500 meters from the border of Oklahoma, where the Interstate Dental Association is located. It will also be recognized that the location is within a mile. Compact for dental hygienists.
- in Washington, SB 5821 passed both chambers. If enacted, this bill would amend existing standards for establishing a provider-patient relationship related to audio-only coverage requirements. The bill would require an established relationship to include an audio-only telehealth provider who has seen a patient in person or through real-time interactive audio and video technology, or an audio-only telehealth provider who has seen a patient in person or through real-time interactive audio and video technology at least once in the past three years. Defined to include healthcare providers. The only healthcare provider to whom the patient was referred by a physician who saw the patient in person or through real-time interactive audio and video technology at least once in the past three years.
- in Washington, SB 5481 passed both chambers. If enacted, the bill would create standards of professional practice for health care providers who provide telehealth services and would also establish requirements for out-of-state health care providers.
- Several states have advanced legislation to establish social work licensing agreements. kentucky (HB 56) and south carolina (H 4365) A bill to join the agreement passed the First Chamber; Virginia (HB 326), a bill to join the compact passed both chambers.
Why it's important:
- States continue to increase activity around licensing agreements for various medical professionals. These state efforts demonstrate a desire to reduce the burden of the licensing process and encourage practice in multiple jurisdictions without relinquishing authority over professional licensure.
- States continue to amend and clarify professional practice requirements regarding telehealth. With the increase in care delivery through virtual modalities, Congress is adopting standards governing the practice of telehealth across multiple health care professions and revising existing standards to reflect current technology and practices.
Telemedicine is an important advancement in healthcare delivery, but the patchwork of regulations is complex.
