Bill > S763

This bill aims to expand and improve telehealth services in Massachusetts by introducing several key provisions. It defines new telehealth-related terms such as "e-consults" (provider-to-provider digital communications), "e-visits" (patient-initiated digital communications), "remote patient monitoring services" (collecting and transmitting patient health data), and "remote therapeutic monitoring services" (tracking non-physiological treatment data). The bill requires health insurance providers to cover these services and reimburse providers for them, ensuring that telehealth services are treated similarly to in-person services. It prohibits additional prior authorization requirements for telehealth services and mandates that insurers provide interpreter services for patients with limited English proficiency or who are deaf or hard of hearing. Additionally, the bill establishes two pilot programs: the Digital Bridge Pilot Program to support telehealth infrastructure in underserved communities, and the Digital Health Navigator Tech Literacy Pilot Program to help patients, especially those with barriers to digital access, learn how to use telehealth technologies. The legislation also creates two task forces to study interstate telehealth practice for physicians and other healthcare professionals, with the goal of improving access to care across state lines. A special commission will be formed to develop recommendations for addressing digital health inequities and establishing standards for digital health navigators.