Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that expands telehealth services to certain medical fields.

Highlights:

• Authorizes parents to, during any declared disaster, epidemic, pandemic, public health emergency, or public safety emergency be in the presence of an individual patient with a developmental disability or other permanent disability who is in need of surgery or any other health care procedure in order to alleviate any negative reaction (Sec. 1, Pg. 2).

• Requires long term care facilities to provide residents and their families with a video-conference visitation option if the governor, director of health, other government official or entity, or the long-term care facility determines that allowing in-person visits at the facility would create a risk to the health of the residents (Sec. 1, Pg. 3).

• Prohibits a health benefit plan from imposing a cost-sharing requirement for telehealth services that exceeds the cost-sharing requirement for comparable in-person health care services and specifies that a health plan issuer shall reimburse health care professionals for a telehealth service that is covered under a patient's health benefit plan (Sec. 1, Pg. 4).

• Defines “cost sharing” as the cost to a covered individual under a health benefit plan according to any coverage limit, copayment, coinsurance, deductible, or other out-of-pocket expense requirements imposed by the plan (Sec. 1, Pg. 3).

• Prohibits a health benefit plan from imposing a cost-sharing requirement for a communication when all of the following apply, including (Sec. 1, Pg. 5):

• The communication was initiated by the health care professional;

• The patient consented to receive a telehealth service from that provider on any prior occasion; and

• The communication was conducted for the purposes of preventative health care services only.

• Specifies that if communication is based on time, then only the time the healthcare professional spends engaged in communication is billable (Sec. 1, Pg. 5).

• Prohibits a dentist from practicing dentistry unless a dentist-patient relationship is established either in person or through teledentistry (Sec. 1, Pg. 10).

• Defines “teledentistry” as the delivery of dentistry between a patient and a dentist who holds a license through the telehealth systems and electronic technologies or media, including interactive, 2-way audio or video (Sec. 1, Pg. 12).

• Authorizes the following medical professionals to provide telehealth services, including (Sec. 1, Pg. 16):

• A psychologists or school psychologist;

• An Audiologist or speech-language pathologist;

• An occupational therapist or physical therapist;

• A professional clinical counselor, independent social worker, or independent marriage and family therapist;

• An independent chemical dependency counselor; and

• A dietitian.

Full Bill Text