Bill Text: CT HB05483 | 2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Coverage Of Telemedicine Services Under Medicaid.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-4-1)
Status: (Passed) 2012-06-08 - Signed by the Governor [HB05483 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2012-HB05483-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 5483 | ||
February Session, 2012 |
LCO No. 1702 | ||
*01702_______HS_* | |||
Referred to Committee on Human Services |
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Introduced by: |
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(HS) |
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AN ACT CONCERNING COVERAGE OF TELEMEDICINE SERVICES UNDER MEDICAID.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2013) (a) As used in this section, "telemedicine" means the use of interactive audio, interactive video or interactive data communication in the delivery of medical advice, diagnosis, care or treatment, and includes the types of services described in subsection (d) of section 20-9 of the general statutes and 42 CFR 410.78(a)(3). "Telemedicine" does not include the use of facsimile or audio-only telephone.
(b) To the extent permitted by federal law, and where deemed medically appropriate, in-person contact between a health care provider and a patient shall not be required for health care services delivered by telemedicine that otherwise would be eligible for reimbursement under the state Medicaid plan. For purposes of this section, "medically appropriate" means care that is (1) provided in a timely manner and meets professionally recognized standards of acceptable medical care; (2) delivered in the appropriate medical setting; and (3) the least costly of multiple, equally-effective alternative treatments or diagnostic modalities.
(c) The Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Public Health, shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, establishing rates for cost reimbursement for telemedicine services provided to Medicaid recipients. The commissioners shall consider, to the extent applicable, reductions in travel costs by health care providers and patients to deliver or to access health care services and such other factors as the Commissioner of Social Services deems relevant.
(d) The Commissioner of Social Services shall apply, if necessary, to the federal government for an amendment to the state Medicaid plan to cover and reimburse telemedicine services. The application shall be filed in accordance with section 17b-28g of the general statutes and federal law.
(e) The transmission, storage and dissemination of data and records related to telemedicine services shall be in accordance with federal and state law and regulations concerning the privacy, security, confidentiality and safeguarding of individually identifiable information.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
January 1, 2013 |
New section |
Statement of Purpose:
To provide coverage for telemedicine health services under the state Medicaid plan.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]