Behavioral Health Services: Telehealth is the use of electronic communication and information technologies to provide or support clinical care at a distance. The delivery of services through telehealth involves the use of secure interactive audio and video telecommunications systems that permit two-way, real-time communication between a patient and a provider.
Behavioral Health Services: Telehealth is a modality of treatment, not a separate covered service. Providers are not required to deliver services via telehealth.
In the FY 2014 State Budget, MA appropriates funds for the reimbursement of telehealth remote patient monitoring provided by home health agencies as a service to clients reimbursable through Medicaid, as long as it is for short term reimbursement.
Behavioral Health Services: A provider may prescribe Schedule II controlled substances via telehealth only after conducting an initial in-person examination of the patient. Ongoing in-personal examinations are required every three months for the duration of the prescription.
“Telemedicine as it pertains to the delivery of health care services, shall mean the use of interactive audio, video or other electronic media for the purpose of diagnosis, consultation or treatment. ‘Telemedicine’ shall not include the use of audio-only telephone, facsimile machine or e-mail.”
Private payers may provide coverage of telemedicine services and must be consistent with coverage for health care services provided through in-person consultations.
Prior to any e-prescribing, there must be a physician-patient relationship that conforms to certain minimum norms and standards of care, which includes taking a medical history, conducting an appropriate exam, and recording the results.
Our telemedicine services can be applied to big cities as well as rural locations. We contract with the highest quality health professionals and partner with hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities throughout the Nation.
