Bill > S3610

Introduced Session

This bill amends current law regarding telemedicine and telehealth to revise emergency care services referral standards. Under current law, there is a provision under which a health care provider engaging in telemedicine or telehealth is to make appropriate referrals for emergency care, if needed. The bill revises this provision to require a health care provider engaged in telemedicine or telehealth to make a good faith effort to directly activate and coordinate with emergency care services in accordance with the standard of care upon determining the patient is in need of emergency services. The bill provides that an emergency care plan is to pertain to areas where patients are located during a telemedicine or telehealth visit. A healthcare provider engaging in telemedicine or telehealth is to make a good faith effort to: provide the name and location of the patient to emergency services in oral and written form; determine the location of a patient if a patient is unaware of his or her location; and provide his or her contact information to emergency services. A healthcare provider engaging in telemedicine or telehealth is to report suicide attempts of patient during a telehealth or telemedicine visit to the Department of Health in a manner that is consistent with federal and State privacy laws emergency and document emergencies which occur during a telehealth or telemedicine visit. The bill requires professional licensing boards to include in their rules and regulations implementing the telemedicine and telehealth law requirements for emergency care plans that include standards and protocols for activating and coordinating with emergency care service providers serving the area in which the patient is located at the time of the telemedicine or telehealth encounter.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Holly Schepisi (R)*,  Mike Testa (R)*,  Jim Holzapfel (R),  Tom Kean (R),  Joe Pennacchio (R),  Nellie Pou (D),  Samuel Thompson (D), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 04/19/2021)