An Act Regarding Telehealth
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1263
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: GRATWICK, TALBOT ROSS, MOORE, CRAVEN, GRIFFIN, HIGGINS, HYMANSON, KORNFIELD, O'NEIL, PERRY
Amends: 24 MRSA §2904, 24-A MRSA §4316

Legislative Document
No. 1263
S.P. 383
In Senate, March 14, 2019
An Act Regarding Telehealth
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services 
suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator GRATWICK of Penobscot.
Cosponsored by Representative TALBOT ROSS of Portland and
Senator: MOORE of Washington, Representatives: CRAVEN of Lewiston, GRIFFIN of 
Levant, HIGGINS of Dover-Foxcroft, HYMANSON of York, KORNFIELD of Bangor, 
O'NEIL of Saco, PERRY of Calais.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  24 MRSA §2904, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2017, c. 396, §1, is 
further amended to read:
A.  A licensed health care practitioner who voluntarily, without the expectation or 
receipt of monetary or other compensation either directly or indirectly, provides 
professional services, including services provided through telehealth as defined in 
Title 24-A, section 4316, subsection 1, paragraph E, within the scope of that health 
care practitioner's licensure:
(1)  To a nonprofit organization;
(2)  To an agency of the State or any political subdivision of the State;
(3)  To members or recipients of services of a nonprofit organization or state or 
local agency;
(4)  To support the State's response to a public health threat as defined in Title 22, 
section 801, subsection 10;
(5)  To support the State's response to an extreme public health emergency as 
defined in Title 22, section 801, subsection 4-A; or
(6)  To support the State's response to a disaster as defined in Title 37-B, section 
703, subsection 2;
Sec. 2.  24-A MRSA §4316, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 169, §1, is repealed and the 
following enacted in its place:
§4316.  Coverage for telehealth services
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A.  "Enrollee originating site" means a site where an enrollee is physically located at 
the time that health care services are provided through telehealth.
B.  "Mobile health device" means a wearable device used to track health and 
wellness, including, but not limited to, a heart rate and respiratory monitor, an 
electrocardiogram monitor and a glucose monitor.
C.  "Provider distant site" means a site where a provider is physically located while 
providing health care services through telehealth.
D.  "Store and forward transfers" means transmission of an enrollee's recorded health 
history through a secure electronic system to a provider.
E.  "Telehealth," as it pertains to the delivery of health care services, means the use of 
interactive real-time visual and audio or other electronic media for the purpose of 
consultation and education concerning and diagnosis, treatment, care management 
and self-management of an enrollee's physical and mental health and includes real-
time interaction between the enrollee at an enrollee originating site and the telehealth 
provider at a provider distant site, synchronous encounters, asynchronous encounters, 
store and forward transfers and telemonitoring. "Telehealth" does not include the use 
of audio-only telephone, facsimile machine, e-mail or texting.
F.  "Telemonitoring," as it pertains to the delivery of health care services, means the 
use of information technology to remotely monitor an enrollee's health status via 
electronic means through the use of clinical data while the enrollee remains in a 
residential setting, allowing the provider to track the enrollee's health data over time. 
Telemonitoring may or may not take place in real time.
G.  "Telephonic services," as it pertains to the delivery of health care services, means 
the use of telephone communication by a provider at a distance for the purpose of 
diagnosis, disease monitoring or treatment.
2.  Parity for telehealth services.  A carrier offering a health plan in this State may 
not deny coverage on the basis that the health care service is provided through telehealth 
if the health care service would be covered if it was provided through in-person 
consultation between an enrollee and a provider.  Coverage for health care services 
provided through telehealth must be determined in a manner consistent with coverage for 
health care services provided through in-person consultation.  If an enrollee is eligible for 
coverage and the delivery of the health care service through telehealth is medically 
appropriate, a carrier may not deny coverage for telehealth services. A carrier may offer a 
health plan containing a provision for a deductible, copayment or coinsurance 
requirement for a health care service provided through telehealth as long as the 
deductible, copayment or coinsurance does not exceed the deductible, copayment or 
coinsurance applicable to a comparable service provided through in-person consultation.   
A carrier may not exclude a health care service from coverage solely because such health 
care service is provided only through a telehealth encounter between the enrollee and the 
provider and not through an in-person consultation between the enrollee and the provider, 
as long as telehealth is appropriate for the provision of such health care service.
3.  Coverage for telehealth services.  Except as provided in this section, a carrier 
shall provide coverage for any medically necessary health care service delivered through 
telehealth as long as the following requirements are met.
A.  The health care service is otherwise covered under an enrollee's health plan.
B.  The health care service delivered by telehealth is of comparable quality to the 
health care service delivered through in-person consultation.
C.  Prior authorization is required for telehealth services only if prior authorization is 
required for the corresponding covered health care service. An in-person consultation 
prior to the delivery of services through telehealth is not required.
D.  Coverage for telehealth services is not limited in any way on the basis of 
geography, location or distance for travel.
E.  The carrier shall require that a physical exam is conducted either in person or 
through telehealth before a provider may write a prescription that is covered.
F.  Coverage for a prescribed schedule I, II or III controlled substance, as defined in 
United States Code, Section 812, is not permitted.
G.  The carrier shall provide coverage for the treatment of 2 or more persons who are 
enrolled in the carrier's health plan at the same time through telehealth, including 
counseling for substance use disorders involving opioids.
4.  Telemonitoring requirements.  A carrier shall provide coverage for 
telemonitoring if:
A.  The telemonitoring is intended to collect an enrollee's health-related data, 
including, but not limited to, pulse and blood pressure readings, that assist a provider 
in monitoring and assessing the enrollee's medical condition;
B.  A provider has evaluated an enrollee and determined that telemonitoring is 
medically necessary for the enrollee;
C.  A provider has evaluated an enrollee and determined that the enrollee is 
cognitively and physically capable of operating the mobile health devices or 
determined that the enrollee has a caregiver willing and able to assist with the mobile 
health devices; and
D.  A provider has evaluated an enrollee's residence and determined its suitability for 
telemonitoring. If the residence appears unable to support telemonitoring, the 
telemonitoring may not be provided unless necessary adaptations are made.
5.  Coverage for telephonic services.  A carrier shall provide coverage for 
telephonic services when telehealth services are unavailable and the telephonic services 
are medically appropriate for the corresponding covered health care services.
6.  Exclusions.  A carrier may exclude the following health care services from 
coverage under a health plan in this State:
A.  Health care services delivered via telehealth if those services are not otherwise 
covered under a health plan;
B.  Health care services that require direct physical contact with an enrollee by a 
provider and that cannot be delegated to another provider at the enrollee originating 
site; and
C.  Any health care service that is medically inappropriate for delivery through 
telehealth.
7.  Utilization review.  This section does not prohibit or limit a carrier from 
conducting a utilization review for telehealth services as long as the utilization review is 
conducted in the same manner and uses the same clinical review criteria as a utilization 
review for an in-person consultation for the same service.
8.  Provider eligibility.  In order to be eligible for reimbursement under this section, 
a provider providing health care services through telehealth must be acting within the 
scope of the provider's license. A carrier may not impose additional credentialing 
requirements or prior approval requirements for a provider as a condition of 
reimbursement for health care services provided under this section unless those 
credentialing requirements or prior approval requirements are the same as those imposed 
for a provider that does not provide health care services through telehealth.
9.  Telehealth equipment.  A carrier may not require a provider to use specific 
telecommunications technology and equipment as a condition of coverage under this 
section as long as the provider uses telecommunications technology and equipment that 
comply with current industry interoperability standards and that comply with standards 
required under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 
Public Law 104-191 and regulations promulgated under that Act.
Sec. 3.  Application.  The requirements of this Act apply to all policies, contracts 
and certificates executed, delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this 
State on or after January 1, 2020.  For purposes of this Act, all contracts are deemed to be 
renewed no later than the next yearly anniversary of the contract date.
SUMMARY
This bill does the following.
1.  It provides immunity from liability to health care practitioners who voluntarily 
provide health care services through telehealth in the same manner as immunity is 
provided to health care practitioners who voluntarily provide health care services in 
person.
2.  It requires carriers that offer health plans in this State to provide coverage for 
health care services provided through telehealth services in the same manner as coverage 
is provided for services provided in person and sets forth certain standards for coverage 
of telehealth services.
3.  It clarifies that carriers may apply prior approval and credentialing requirements 
for providers for services provided through telehealth services only if the requirements 
are the same as are applied for services provided in person.
4.  It makes the bill's provisions apply to health insurance policies issued or renewed 
on or after January 1, 2020.