Bill Text: NH HB1471 | 2018 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relative to telemedicine and establishing a committee to study health care reimbursement for telemedicine and telehealth.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2018-06-20 - Signed by Governor Sununu 06/18/2018; Chapter 267; I. Sections 1-3 eff. 8/17/2018; II. Rem. eff. 6/18/2018 [HB1471 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2018-HB1471-Amended.html
HB 1471-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
8Feb2018... 0016h
21Mar2018... 1122h
2018 SESSION
18-2399
01/08
HOUSE BILL 1471-FN
SPONSORS: Rep. Migliore, Graf. 9; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21
COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill clarifies the law relating to telemedicine services. This bill also establishes a committee to study health care reimbursement for telemedicine and telehealth.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
8Feb2018... 0016h
21Mar2018... 1122h 18-2399
01/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Telemedicine; Definitions. Amend RSA 415-J:2, I to read as follows:
I. "Distant site" means the location of the health care provider delivering services through telemedicine at the time the services are provided.
I-a. "Health benefit policy'' means any individual or group plan, policy, or contract for health care services issued, delivered, issued for delivery, executed, or renewed in this state, including, but not limited to, those contracts executed by the state of New Hampshire on behalf of state employees under RSA 21-I, by an insurer.
2 New Paragraph; Telemedicine; Definitions. Amend RSA 415-J:2 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:
II-a. "Originating site" means the location of the patient, whether or not accompanied by a health care provider, at the time services are provided by a health care provider through telemedicine, including, but not limited to, a health care provider's office, a hospital, or a health care facility, or the patient's home or another nonmedical environment such as a school-based health center, a university- based health center, or the patient's workplace.
3 Coverage for Telemedicine Services. Amend RSA 415-J:3, I to read as follows:
I. It is the intent of the general court to recognize the application of telemedicine for covered services provided within the scope of practice of a physician or other health care provider as a method of delivery of medical care by which an individual at an originating site shall receive medical services which are clinically appropriate for delivery through telemedicine from a health care provider at a distant site without in-person contact with the provider.
4 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study health care reimbursement for telemedicine and telehealth.
5 Membership and Compensation.
I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:
(a) Four members of the house of representatives, at least one of whom shall be a member of the commerce and consumer affairs committee and one of whom shall be from the health, human services and elderly affairs committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(b) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.
6 Duties. The committee shall study health care reimbursement for telemedicine and telehealth. The committee shall solicit information and testimony from any individual or entity the committee deems relevant to its study.
7 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
8 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2018.
I. Sections 1-3 of this act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
II. The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.
18-2399
10/30/17
HB 1471-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to telemedicine.
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ X ] County [ X ] Local [ ] None
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STATE: | FY 2019 | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 |
Appropriation | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Revenue | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable |
Expenditures | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable |
Funding Source: | [ X ] General [ X ] Education [ X ] Highway [ X ] Other - Insurance Premium Tax | |||
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COUNTY: |
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Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Expenditures | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable |
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LOCAL: |
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Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Expenditures | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable |
METHODOLOGY:
This bill add definitions of "distant site" and "originating site" to the statute governing telemedicine, RSA 415-J. Insurance reimbursement rates for telemedicine services shall be the same as for such services provided in the provider's office or facility.
The Insurance Department assumes the reimbursement will be based on what the provider would receive if services were provided at the distant site and not the originating site. Such reimbursement is assumed to be a function of whether the provider and the distant site are considered in-network or out-of-network. The Department has no information regarding current practices, such as if carriers discount reimbursement rates for telemedicine, and thus concludes the impact on premium tax revenue is indeterminable.
The Department of Administrative Services states the bill applies to the State of New Hampshire's Employee and Retiree Health Benefits Plan. The state currently provides clinically appropriate telemedicine services through its medical third party administrator (TPA) to all members of it active employee and non-Medicare retiree Health Benefits Plans. Generally, current telemedicine service reimbursement rates are equal to 70% of the reimbursement rates paid for on-site office visits. This bill will increase the cost of telemedicine services to the State Health Benefit Plan by an indeterminable amount because the volume of future telemedicine claims is unknown.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Insurance and Department of Administrative Services
