Virginia has made strides to expand the telehealth offerings available to its residents and the Old Dominion took another step forward advancing telemedicine when it enacted a bill amending Virginia Code § 38.2-3418.16 to expand commercial insurance coverage of telemedicine-based services. Additionally, the Virginia Board of Medicine last year published Telemedicine Guidelines to instruct practitioners on this rapidly-growing industry.
The guidelines address establishing a valid practitioner-patient relationship, licensure, evaluation and treatment, informed consent, medical records, privacy and security of patient information, and remote prescribing. Health care providers, hospitals, and start-up companies offering telemedicine services in Virginia should review the guidelines when deploying services in this state.
Here are the highlights of Virginia’s telemedicine rules:
We will continue to monitor Virginia for any rule changes that affect or improve telemedicine opportunities in the state.
Virginia is among 29 states plus the District of Columbia with laws requiring commercial health insurance companies cover services provided via telehealth to the same extent those services are covered if provided in-person. Continued expansions in reimbursement mean providers can enhance telehealth offerings, both for the immediate cost savings and growing opportunities for revenue generation, to say nothing of patient quality and satisfaction. Commercial insurance reimbursement is among the five telemedicine trends driving health care transformation in 2016 and beyond.
For more information on telemedicine, telehealth, virtual care, and other health innovations, including the team, publications, and other materials, visit Foley’s Telemedicine Practice.