Vermont health care providers and patients can now enjoy a revamped, and significantly improved, telehealth commercial insurance coverage law. Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed S. 50 into law on June 7, 2017, expanding...more
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin recently signed into law SB 726, establishing new telemedicine practice standards, including explicitly allowing doctors to create valid physician-patient relationships via telemedicine without...more
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, recently signed into law SB 213, clarifying that health professionals in Michigan may prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine without an in-person examination. The law reverses a 2016...more
The Legislation implementing the medical marijuana amendment Florida voters approved last fall is on its way to the Governor. On June 9, 2017, during a special session, the Florida Legislature passed SB 8A and SB 6A,...more
On August 4, 2017, the Florida Board of Medicine will hold a third public hearing to discuss its proposed amendment to Florida’s telemedicine practice rules regarding medical marijuana. The Board held two prior public...more
On May 12, 2017, the Texas State Legislature passed SB 1107, a law expanding the use of telemedicine in the Lone Star State. The bill is now on its way to Governor Abbot’s desk where he is expected to sign it into law....more
Editor’s Note: This article is the second in a series addressing telemedicine prescribing and controlled substances, designed to give some much needed practical guidance and orientation to established healthcare providers,...more
4/18/2017
/ Controlled Substances ,
DEA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Veterans Affairs ,
Exemptions ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medical Emergencies ,
Native American Issues ,
Physicians ,
Prescribing Authority ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Ryan Haight Act ,
Telemedicine ,
Veterans
Editor’s Note: This article is the first of a series addressing telemedicine prescribing and controlled substances, designed to give some much needed practical guidance and orientation to established health care providers,...more
The Ohio Medical Board just last week adopted new rules for telemedicine prescribing of drugs and controlled substances, allowing providers to prescribe drugs via telemedicine without conducting an in-person examination....more
The Arkansas State Medical Board on Thursday voted unanimously to pass Regulation 38 establishing key definitions for telemedicine practice in the State. The new regulation imposes specific Board of Medicine requirements for...more
The Arkansas Legislative Council’s Rules and Regulations Subcommittee approved, on August 16, 2016, proposed regulations which, if accepted by the Arkansas Legislative Council, will remove some restrictions on telemedicine...more
Missouri’s governor signed into law SB 579 (the “Act”), on June 8, 2016, establishing new telemedicine practice standards, including explicitly allowing a valid physician-patient relationship to be established via...more
South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley signed the South Carolina Telemedicine Act (S.B. 1035) into law, on June 3, 2016, establishing new telemedicine practice standards in the Palmetto State. Prior to the Act, the controlling...more
The Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals and other health care organizations, hit pause on its prior May 2016 announcement to allow secure text messaging in hospitals and other health care organizations. The use of...more
Rhode Island marks the 31st state to enact a telemedicine commercial reimbursement statute. The Telemedicine Coverage Act (HB 7160B) was signed into law by Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo on June 28, 2016, representing a...more
Alaska Governor Bill Walker signed SB 74 into law on June 21, 2016, expanding the use of telemedicine in the Last Frontier state. Specifically, SB 74 removes Alaska’s previous in-state presence requirements for prescribing...more
Foley Partner Nathaniel Lacktman, head of the firm’s telemedicine and virtual care practice, participated in a comprehensive Q&A discussing the challenges and opportunities facing the telehealth market with Healthcare...more
Louisiana’s governor signed into law, HB 570, (the “Act”), eliminating a prior requirement that physicians practicing telemedicine maintain an office in Louisiana or contract with in-state providers. The Act also changes the...more
6/30/2016
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
Electronic Prescribing ,
Electronic Records ,
Health Care Providers ,
Informed Consent ,
Medical Examiners ,
New Legislation ,
Physicians ,
Standard of Care ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine ,
Venue
Arkansas was ranked last among all states in a recent report by the American Telemedicine Association on telemedicine practice standards. Earlier this year, we reported on the Arkansas Board of Medicine’s plans to remedy its...more
Virginia has made strides to expand the telehealth offerings available to its residents and the Old Dominion took another step forward advancing telemedicine when it enacted a bill amending Virginia Code § 38.2-3418.16 to...more
4/14/2016
/ Controlled Substances ,
Data Security ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Electronic Prescribing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Informed Consent ,
Licensing Rules ,
New Legislation ,
Physicians ,
State Medical Board ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) signed into law, on March 24, 2016, a new bill (House Bill No. 4463) implementing a variety of telemedicine practice standards and remote prescribing rules in the Mountain State....more
Louisiana’s Board of Medical Examiners (the “Board”) enacted regulations in the fall amending the prior practice standards for telemedicine, the requirements for obtaining a telemedicine permit, and the rules on remote...more
3/22/2016
/ Amended Regulation ,
Controlled Substances ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Electronic Prescribing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Informed Consent ,
Medical License ,
Physicians ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
The Florida Board of Medicine recently met and voted to uphold a rule allowing controlled substances to be prescribed via telemedicine for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. This change has enormous potential to benefit...more
The State of Wisconsin Medical Examining Board recently held a hearing to consider a proposed rule that, if enacted, would provide the first administrative requirements around the use of telemedicine services in Wisconsin....more
A physician in New Hampshire can now establish a valid doctor-patient relationship without needing a prior in-person exam. This is among several recent changes in New Hampshire’s telemedicine laws that offer new opportunities...more
10/27/2015
/ Controlled Substances ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Electronic Prescribing ,
Exemptions ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
In-Person Exam ,
Licensing Rules ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
Physicians ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Standard of Care ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine