CA AB809

Requires health care providers to obtain verbal or written consent from patients before delivering services via telehealth and to document that consent.

Defines telehealth and related terms including asynchronous store and forward transmission, distant site, originating site, and synchronous interaction.

Establishes that failure to comply with consent and documentation requirements constitutes unprofessional conduct.

Allows hospitals to grant privileges and verify credentials for telehealth providers based on distant-site hospital or telehealth entity information per federal regulations.

Takes effect immediately as an urgency statute to address health care access in rural and medically underserved areas.