Right now, when the need for telehealth is at an all-time high, ERIC has secured a win in Maryland. Both ERIC-supported bills, S.B. 402 and H.B. 448, are on their way to the Governor’s desk. They are expected to be signed before the end of the session, which has been moved to April 6.
Background
In late January, S.B. 402 and H.B. 448 were cross-filed to clarify the state’s technology-neutral policy on telehealth. The bills were crafted after the Maryland Board of Physicians passed a rule in July of last year to remove the technology-neutral approach and require both video and audio for an initial telehealth visit. See our February alert here for more information.
On February 11, ERIC urged both the Maryland House Committee on Health and Government Operations and the Maryland Senate Committee on Education, Health, and Welfare to vote favorably on the two bills.
What was in our testimony?
ERIC supported both bills, including the provisions that define telehealth in a technology-neutral way. ERIC champions technology-neutral requirements in telemedicine legislation and regulations because restrictive requirements create a barrier to access. Patients should not be prevented from using telemedicine solely because they lack the capability to communicate with a provider via video.
Article by Carly Sternberg, Health Policy Associate