Tennessee Telehealth Laws & Reimbursement Policies

TennCare reimburses for live video only for crisis-related services. TennCare services are offered through managed care entities. Each MCO has its own telehealth policy. Coverage and reimbursement for live video and store-and-forward may vary between MCOs.

“Telehealth is the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support clinical care between an individual with mental illness and/or substance abuse issues and a healthcare practitioner.”

No reimbursement for telephone. No reimbursement for fax. No reimbursement for email.

The patient must be informed and given an opportunity to request an in-person assessment before receiving a telehealth assessment.

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No reference found.

Telehealth means the use of real-time interactive audio, video telecommunications or electronic technology, or store-and-forward telemedicine services by a healthcare provider to deliver healthcare services to a patient within the scope of practice of the healthcare services provider when such provider is at a qualified site other than the site where the patient is located; and the patient is at a qualified site or at a school clinic staffed by a healthcare services provider and equipped to engage in the telecommunications described in this section or a public elementary or secondary school staffed by a health care services provider and equipped to engage in the telecommunications described in this section and does not include audio only conversation; an electronic mail message or facsimile transmission.

A health insurance entity shall provide coverage for healthcare services provided during a telehealth encounter in a manner that is consistent with what the health insurance policy or contract provides for in-person encounters for the same service.

Health insurance entities (including managed care organizations) participating in the medical assistance program are required to provide coverage for telehealth (which includes live video) delivered services in a manner that is consistent with the health insurance policy or contract provided for in-person services.

Telemedicine is the practice of medicine using electronic communication, information technology or other means, between a licensee in one location and a patient in another location. Telemedicine is not an audio only telephone conversation, email/instant messaging conversation or fax. It typically involves the application or secure video conferencing or store-and-forward to provide or support healthcare delivery by replicating the interaction of a traditional encounter between a provider and a patient.

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Click to see list of activities a provider must complete prior to prescribing online or through the telephone.

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

Teledentistry means “the delivery of dental health care and patient consultation through the use of telehealth systems and technologies, including live, two-way interactions between a patient and a dentist licensed in this state using audiovisual telecommunications technology, or the secure transmission of electronic health records and medical data to a dentist licensed in this state to facilitate evaluation and treatment of the patient outside of a real-time or in-person interaction.”