SB 1398 Summary

• Requires all health insurance contracts, evidence of coverage, and disability insurance policies issued, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2018 to cover telemedicine services if the same services would be covered when provided in-person.

• Allows insurers and health care services organizations to impose the same deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance for telemedicine services as for in-person consultations for the same service.

• Defines telemedicine as interactive use of audio, video, or other electronic media for diagnosis, consultation, or treatment, excluding audio-only telephone, video-only systems, facsimile machines, instant messages, or email.

• Adds urology to the list of covered telemedicine services effective January 1, 2019; existing covered services include trauma, burn, cardiology, infectious diseases, mental health disorders, neurologic diseases, dermatology, and pulmonology.

• Requires telemedicine services to comply with Arizona licensure requirements, accreditation standards, and practice guidelines of national medical professional associations to ensure quality of care.