S.B. 1246 - Telehealth

• Establishes state policy to promote telehealth as an effective means of overcoming barriers to health care access, particularly in rural and remote areas.

• Creates the State Strategic Telehealth Advisory Council, appointed by the governor with representation from health facilities, insurers, telecommunications providers, long-term care services, rural practitioners, and mental health providers, with at least one member from each county; council dissolves July 1, 2022.

• Establishes a full-time State Telehealth and Health Care Access Coordinator position within the department of health to support the advisory council and coordinate telehealth initiatives across state agencies and the private sector.

• Directs the department of health to establish a Telehealth Administrative Simplification Working Group to research and recommend solutions for reducing administrative barriers to telehealth delivery and report findings to the legislature by 20 days before the 2020 regular session.

• Appropriates $110,000 for fiscal year 2019-2020 and $110,000 for fiscal year 2020-2021 to establish the coordinator position; act takes effect July 1, 2019.