2021 New York Telemedicine Commercial Payer Laws

Download the 2021 50-State Survey of Telemedicine Commercial Insurance Laws Here

Telemedicine and digital health technology continues to gain acceptance among patients and health care professionals alike, and more organizations are implementing and expanding robust virtual care programs to supplement their traditional in-person offerings. Our first national telemedicine and digital health survey was published seven years ago, with this report being our team’s fourth publicly available survey on telemedicine. Our prior reports found one of the most significant barriers to adoption was limited or unclear reimbursement for telehealth and digital health services.

Enter the COVID-19 pandemic, which compelled policymakers in states, including New York, and federal policymakers to remove restrictions and expand reimbursement for telehealth and virtual care at a rate previously unseen. The new changes followed the previously established pathway of coverage, but the pace at which they were made was stunning. Medicare introduced nearly 100 telehealth service codes covered on a temporary basis until the federal public health emergency declaration expires, including payment for telephone-only consults. States and commercial health plans followed suit. Although some of the reimbursement expansions are temporary and slated to end when the public health emergency expires, many have already become permanently codified into state law.

Foley & Lardner’s 2021 50-State Survey of Telehealth Commercial Payer Laws provides a detailed landscape of the New York telehealth commercial insurance coverage and payment laws. The report is useful to health care providers (both traditional and emerging), lawmakers, entrepreneurs, telemedicine companies, and other industry stakeholders as a guide of telehealth insurance laws and regulations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Click below to download the full report.