Iowa Telehealth State Laws & Reimbursement Policies

Iowa Medicaid pays for telehealth as long as it meets accepted health care practices and standards. The Medicaid program does not have a definition for telehealth, and therefore it is unknown if the term encompasses store-and-forward or remote patient monitoring. Beginning July 1, 2019, managed care plans in Iowa’s Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (Hawk-I) program, may cover telehealth and telemonitoring services, but do not appear to be mandated.

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Iowa Medicaid uses the 02 POS code adopted by Medicare.

“Telehealth means the delivery of health care services through the use of interactive audio and video. Telehealth does not include the delivery of health care services through an audio-only telephone, electronic mail message, or facsimile transmission.”

Policies, contracts, or plans providing third-party payment or prepayment of health or medical expenses shall not discriminate between coverage benefits for health care services that are provided in-person and the same health care services provided through telehealth.

Health care services must be appropriately delivered by telehealth in accordance with accepted health care practices and standards, including all rules adopted by professional licensing boards.

Telecommunications and Technology Commission:
“Telemedicine means use of a telecommunications system for diagnostic, clinical, consultative, data, and educational services for the delivery of health care services or related health care activities by licensed health care professionals, licensed medical professionals, and staff who function under the direction of a physician, a licensed health care professional, or hospital, for the purpose of developing a comprehensive, statewide telemedicine network or education.”

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Pharmacists are prohibited from dispensing prescription drugs if the pharmacist knows or should have known that the prescription was issued solely on the basis of an Internet-based questionnaire, an Internet-based consult, or a telephone consult, and was completed without a pre-existing patient-provider relationship.

Member of the following: Nurse Licensure Compact, Physical Therapy Compact, and Interstate Medical Licensure Compact.

Click for a list of professional board telehealth-specific regulations.