MA H5017

Summary of H.5017: Telehealth and Digital Equity for Patients

• Expands mandated insurance coverage for telehealth services to include e-consults (provider-to-provider communications), e-visits (patient-initiated digital communications), remote patient monitoring services/devices, and remote therapeutic monitoring services/devices across all major insurance types including MassHealth, Group Insurance Commission, and commercial plans.

• Prohibits insurers from imposing prior authorization requirements for telehealth services that would not apply to the same services delivered in-person, and requires utilization review to be conducted identically for telehealth and in-person care.

• Requires insurers to cover interpreter services for telehealth visits for patients with limited English proficiency or who are deaf/hard of hearing, and mandates development of digital health literacy screening and education programs for enrollees.

• Establishes a Digital Bridge Pilot Program to fund telehealth equipment, broadband access, and connectivity for providers and patients, prioritizing communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and those with language or socioeconomic barriers.

• Creates multiple task forces and commissions to study interstate telehealth licensure barriers, digital health navigator implementation, and telehealth's impact on healthcare access and costs, with reports due between 2026-2027.