§5-16-7b. Coverage for telehealth services.

(a) The plan shall provide coverage of health care services provided through telehealth services if those same services are covered through face-to-face consultation by the policy.

(b) The plan may not exclude a service for coverage solely because the service is provided through telehealth services.

(c) The plan shall provide reimbursement for a telehealth service at a rate negotiated between the provider and the insurance company for virtual telehealth encounters. The plan shall provide reimbursement for a telehealth service for an established patient, or care rendered on a consulting basis to a patient located in an acute care facility, whether inpatient or outpatient, on the same basis and at the same rate under a contract, plan, agreement, or policy as if the service is provided through an in-person encounter rather than provided via telehealth.

(d) The plan may not impose any annual or lifetime dollar maximum on coverage for telehealth services other than an annual or lifetime dollar maximum that applies in the aggregate to all items and services covered under the policy, or impose upon any person receiving benefits pursuant to the provisions of or the requirements of this section any copayment, coinsurance, or deductible amounts, or any policy year, calendar year, lifetime, or other durational benefit limitation or maximum for benefits or services that is not equally imposed upon all terms and services covered under the policy, contract, or plan.

(e) An originating site may charge the plan a site fee.

(f) The coverage required by this section shall include the use of telehealth technologies as it pertains to medically necessary remote patient monitoring services to the full extent that those services are available.