Illinois Telehealth Laws & Reimbursement Policies

Illinois Medicaid reimburses for live video telemedicine and telepsychiatry services for specific providers.

“Telemedicine” is the use of a telecommunication system to provide medical services for the purpose of evaluation and treatment when the patient is at one medical provider location and the rendering provider is at another location.

No reimbursement for telephone.
No reimbursement for FAX.
No reimbursement for text or email.

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For medical services, the provider rendering the service at the distant site can be a physician, physician assistant, podiatrist or advanced practice nurse, who is licensed by the State of Illinois or by the state where the patient is located.

Specific documentation requirements apply for telehealth services. See administrative code for details.

“Telehealth services” means the delivery of covered health care services by way of an interactive telecommunication system.

Click for a list of requirements.

Payers are not required to cover telehealth services, they are only required to meet certain requirements if they choose to do so (see above).

"Telehealth" means the evaluation, diagnosis, or interpretation of electronically transmitted patient-specific data between a remote location and a licensed health care professional that generates interaction or treatment recommendations. "Telehealth" includes telemedicine and the delivery of health care services provided by way of an interactive telecommunications system, as defined in subsection (a) of Section 356z.22 of the Illinois Insurance Code.

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Member of the following: Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact.

Health professionals authorized by statute to engage in the practice of telehealth to the extent of his or her scope of practice include physicians, physician assistants, optometrists, advanced practice nurses, clinical psychologists licensed in IL, dentists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, clinical social workers, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, hearing instrument dispensers, and mental health professionals and clinicians authorized by Illinois law to provide mental health services.