Bill > H267

This bill aims to expand access to telemedicine services by allowing certain clinicians to be credentialed to provide these services across state lines and by ensuring that all payers, including the Medicaid program, cover telemedicine services at rates no less than in-person services. Specifically, it mandates that licensing boards and professional licensure divisions create regulations for telemedicine licensure and credentialing that align with federal standards, such as allowing physicians to practice telemedicine between states and enabling healthcare facilities to use written agreements or proxy credentialing for telemedicine providers. The bill defines "telemedicine" as the use of interactive audio, video, or other electronic media for diagnosis, consultation, or treatment. It also requires Medicaid managed care organizations and primary care clinician plans to cover telemedicine services at parity with in-person services, and it amends existing laws to ensure that private insurance carriers (referred to as "carriers") cannot require in-person contact for services appropriately delivered via telemedicine and must cover these services at the same rate as in-person care, with similar deductible, copayment, or coinsurance requirements. These provisions will apply to contracts entered into, renewed, or amended on or after January 1, 2016.