Massachusetts Telehealth Legislation Needs Improvement
On Wednesday, August 12, ERIC urged members of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to remove prescribing limitations for telehealth visits. This language in the text unnecessarily restricts patient access to remote care and relies heavily on in-person visits, which have been limited and avoided during the COVID-19 pandemic. We requested that the language be removed from the final bill so all patients can receive necessary medical care through telehealth.
The legislation does, however, include beneficial policies such as defining telehealth to include synchronous or asynchronous technology, and no requirement to travel to originating sites. Although Massachusetts reconvenes its session September 9, legislators will meet prior to that date for discussions on the legislation.
Four States Partner on Telehealth
The Governors of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Colorado announced late last week they have partnered to collaborate on telehealth access and coverage best practices. This is the first regional agreement of its kind where the states will focus on patient choice, standard of care requirements, and patient confidentiality. They will also focus on reimbursement for telehealth, which is concerning to ERIC as more states are temporarily mandating the same reimbursement rate for telehealth visits as in-person visits.
Washington, Nevada, and Colorado are all part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, and may be able to have Oregon join the compact once discussions begin. These states are adamant on moving forward on telehealth legislation and encouraged the federal government to continue their work on telehealth.
All the states’ legislatures, except for Oregon whose special session ends Saturday, August 15, are not in session. ERIC will continue to be active and engage these states on best policies for telehealth.
Article by James Gelfand, Senior Vice President of Health Policy