Bill > HB43

This bill expands the practice of telemedicine (also referred to as telehealth) in Montana. The key provisions of the bill include: - Prohibiting insurance policies from imposing restrictions on the location of the patient or healthcare provider when receiving telemedicine services. Coverage for telemedicine services must be equivalent to in-person services. - Clarifying the definition of "telemedicine" to include audio-only communication, and specifying that a previously established patient-provider relationship is not required to receive telemedicine services, except for physicians certifying medical marijuana use. - Extending the requirement to cover telemedicine services to public employee benefit plans and self-insured student health plans administered by the Montana University System. - Granting the Insurance Commissioner rulemaking authority to implement the telemedicine coverage requirements. - Updating the definitions of "telemedicine" in the statutes governing the medical, physical therapy, and medical marijuana programs to align with the changes in this bill. The bill sets an effective date of January 1, 2022, to allow time for implementation of the new telemedicine requirements.

Health and Social Services

https://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=43&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211