On July 7, 2016, Governor David Ige of the State of Hawaiʻi signed into law Senate Bill 2395: Relating to Telehealth as Act 226 (16). This Act:
- Requires the State’s Medicaid Managed Care and Fee-for-Service programs to cover services provided through telehealth;
- Specifies that any telehealth services provided shall be consistent with all federal and state privacy, security, and confidentiality laws;
- Specifies medical professional liability insurance policy requirements with regard to telehealth coverage;
- Clarifies that reimbursement for services provided through telehealth shall be equivalent to reimbursement for the same services provided via face-to-face contact between a health care provider and a patient;
- Requires written disclosure of coverages and benefits associated with telehealth services;
- Ensures that telehealth encompasses store and forward technologies, remote monitoring, live consultation, and mobile health;
- Ensures that telehealth is covered when originating in a patient’s home and other non-medical environments;
- Clarifies requirements for physicians and out-of-state physicians to establish a physician-patient relationship via telehealth;
- Ensures that reimbursement requirements for telehealth services apply to all health benefits plans under chapter 87A, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes; and
- Makes other conforming amendments related to telehealth for clarity.
To view the Act in its entirety: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2016/bills/GM1328_.PDF
To watch the signing ceremony: https://youtu.be/ZUufRdqIy4Q