H.B. 384 - Telehealth Coverage Summary

• Prohibits health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations from excluding coverage of services solely because they are provided through telehealth instead of face-to-face contact.

• Requires reimbursement for telehealth services to be equivalent to reimbursement for the same services provided via face-to-face contact between a health care provider and patient.

• Mandates parity in cost-sharing by requiring deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance for telehealth services to be equivalent to those for face-to-face services and preventing separate deductible accumulation.

• Prohibits insurers from imposing utilization review on telehealth services with greater frequency or more stringent application than for equivalent face-to-face services, and prevents restrictions limiting coverage to specific telehealth vendors or technology platforms.

• Expands the definition of "telehealth" to include audio-only telephone when other telecommunications means are unavailable, lack adequate broadband access, or are medically inadvisable as determined by the health care provider.