AR HB1063

Amends Arkansas Code § 17-80-402(4) to add a new category (G) allowing healthcare professionals licensed in Arkansas to establish professional relationships via telemedicine using any technology including telephone, with access to a patient's personal health record and authority to prescribe noncontrolled drugs.

Modifies Arkansas Code § 17-80-403(c) to remove audio-only communication from the list of methods that cannot establish a professional relationship, allowing telephone consultations to count as valid telemedicine services.

Expands the definition of "telemedicine" in Arkansas Code § 23-79-1601(7) to include audio-only real-time, interactive communication that meets healthcare service requirements, with required medical record documentation subject to standard audit and review processes.

Prohibits health benefit plans from imposing unequal coverage restrictions on telemedicine services, including requirements to use restricted networks, unequal copayments, or stricter prior authorization than in-person services.

Declares an emergency effective immediately, citing COVID-19 pandemic disruptions and the need to maintain barriers to telemedicine access that the Governor had removed.