More Than Half of US States Now Have Telemedicine Parity Laws, With Additional Bills Pending

Indiana, Minnesota and Nevada enact telemedicine parity laws, bringing the national total to 27 states and D.C.; additional bills pend with the possibility to make a nationwide impact.

With three additional states—Indiana, Minnesota and Nevada—enacting telemedicine parity laws this week, 27 states and D.C. now have telemedicine coverage enforcement laws. New telemedicine laws and additional pending bills reinforce that telemedicine will be covered by Medicaid and private insurance in all states in the near future.

Telemedicine software provider CloudVisit Telemedicine is optimistic about telemedicine reimbursement expansion and is eager for telemedicine to soon become the norm for all healthcare facilities. The company’s patient-provider videoconferencing platform solves age-old healthcare problems without compromising quality of care, and strives to expand its reach to underserved populations.

Indiana’s telemedicine parity law, going into effect July 1, requires private insurance coverage of telemedicine done through interactive electronic media. Minnesota now requires reimbursement of telemedicine at the same level as in-person health services with no limits on distance. Nevada requires telemedicine reimbursement under Medicaid and private insurance, and is the only state extending telemedicine reimbursement under workers compensation.

There are currently eight telemedicine bills pending in Congress.

Nationwide changes may be on the way. On May 21, Representative Charles Rangel introduced the Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act (VETS Act). The VETS Act would allow healthcare professionals working with the US Department of Veterans Affairs to treat nationwide veterans with a single state license, versus requiring a license in each patient’s state.

Now is the time to implement telemedicine in private practices, medical facilities, hospitals, and medical associations and organizations. Telemedicine patient benefits are vast and provide a quick ROI in medical businesses.