SB 1338

Abstract

Telemedicine services; remote patient monitoring services. Requires the Board of Medical Assistance Services to include in the state plan for medical assistance services a provision for the payment of medical assistance for remote patient monitoring services provided via telemedicine for (i) high-risk pregnant persons; (ii) medically complex infants and children; (iii) transplant patients; (iv) patients who have undergone surgery, for up to three months following the date of such surgery; and (v) patients with a chronic health condition who have had two or more hospitalizations or emergency department visits related to such chronic health condition in the previous 12 months. The services include monitoring of clinical patient data such as weight, blood pressure, pulse, pulse oximetry, blood glucose, and other patient physiological data; treatment adherence monitoring; and interactive video conferencing with or without digital image upload. The bill also clarifies the definition of "telemedicine services" to provide that nothing in the bill precludes coverage for a service that is not a telemedicine service, including real-time audio-only telehealth services. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to adopt regulations for reimbursement for telemedicine services delivered through audio-only telephone and to promulgate and adopt uniform regulations for remote patient monitoring for all Medicaid managed care organizations to implement and follow. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act. This bill incorporates SB 1416.

Telemedicine services; remote patient monitoringservices. Defines "medically necessary" for the purposes of telemedicineservices and clarifies the definitions of "remote patient monitoringservices" and "telemedicine services." The Board of Medical AssistanceServices is currently required to include in the state plan for medicalassistance services a provision for the payment of medical assistancefor medically necessary health care services provided through telemedicineservices, and the bill directs the Board to provide payment for remotepatient monitoring services provided through telemedicine servicesbased on an annual publication by the Centers for Medicare and MedicaidServices.