NC H704

Directs the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services to study telemedicine's role in increasing health care access, reducing health disparities, and improving delivery efficiency, with a final report due by April 1, 2014.

Study must examine state and federal regulatory requirements, infrastructure needs, provider credentialing and licensure, insurance coverage and reimbursement policies, utilization impacts, initiatives in other states, readmission rate reduction potential, and funding sources for telemedicine.

Prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from adopting Medicaid and Health Choice coverage policies that require prior approval for telemedicine services unless the same approval is required for in-person services.

Prohibits coverage policies that limit eligible recipients' access to telemedicine services based on the geographic location of the patient site relative to the provider site.

Coverage policy restrictions take effect July 1, 2013, for health care services rendered on or after that date.