Bill > H5017

This bill aims to expand telehealth access and promote digital equity for patients by requiring health insurance providers to cover various telehealth services, including e-consults (provider-to-provider consultations via electronic records), e-visits (patient-initiated digital communications), and remote patient monitoring services and devices. It also mandates that insurance plans provide reimbursement for interpreter services for patients with limited English proficiency or those who are deaf or hard of hearing, and requires insurers to develop programs to help individuals with low digital literacy access telehealth services, including educational materials, workshops, and digital health navigators. The bill further clarifies that utilization reviews for telehealth services should be conducted the same way as in-person services and prohibits prior authorization requirements for telehealth that wouldn't apply to in-person care. Additionally, it establishes several task forces and pilot programs to study and address barriers to telehealth, including interstate practice, digital access, and the recruitment and implementation of digital health navigators, with a focus on communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 or facing language and accessibility challenges.

Health and Social Services

Joint Committee on Financial Services (Joint)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5017