Given the ongoing push towards widely-accepted telemedicine adoption, The American Telemedicine Association has put together two companion reports that compare and contrast coverage, reimbursement, physician practice standards, and licensure across all 50 states. In an effort to try and simplify the vast amount of information regarding telemedicine policy, the ATA has assigned a grade to each U.S. state based on the presence of policies that block physicians, patients, and providers from utilizing the advantages of telemedicine.
The assessment of each state regarding physician-patient encounter revolved around telemedicine usage before, during, and after a physician’s encounter with a patient. Some states require an in-person visit must be conducted alongside communication via telemedicine when treating a patient. These state policies have a direct effect on the physician’s ability to practice medicine, unlike legislation and policies regarding reimbursement and coverage.
The results of the analysis indicate a mixed result of progression and stagnation among each state. “Since the first version of this report in 2014, medical boards have moved towards a trend to impose different regulations or guidance for medical practice via telemedicine when compared to in-person practice,” the report says. “Further, states are becoming more prescriptive in their requirements for an additional patient informed consent and the types of modalities permitted for appropriate clinical practice when using telemedicine.”
Over the past year, more than 25 states have speculated to make changes to the physician standards and licensure regulations regarding telemedicine in order to further its expansion. Given varying results, certain states are implementing new legislation that influence’s more access for physicians and patients via telemedicine while other states make moves towards simply altering policies already in place that only hinder the adoption of telemedicine.
If you are an organization that has patients that want to be seen via Telemed click on the “Have Patients” button and a representative will get in contact shortly!
OR
If you’re a Medical or Mental Health professional interested in seeing patients online click below on the “want patients” button to and fill out the form
I am confused by the map. Does “A” represent the states that support telemedicine or set up the most policies to block it?
“ATA has assigned a grade to each U.S. state based on the presence of policies that block physicians, patients, and providers from utilizing the advantages of telemedicine.”
Hi Maryann- The better the grade for the State, the easier it is to practice Telemed. States with lower grades have high regulation. I hope this helps!