Code of Maryland Regulations › Title 10 - MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Part 3 › Subtitle 21 - MENTAL HYGIENE REGULATIONS › Chapter 10.21.30 - Telemental Health Services › Section 10.21.30.02 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 14, July 12, 2024
A. In this chapter,
				  terms have the meanings stated in COMAR 10.21.17 and this regulation.
B. Terms Defined.
(1) "Critical access hospital" means a
				  hospital that is certified to receive cost-based reimbursement from
				  Medicare.
(2) "Designated rural
				  geographic areas" means the rural geographical areas in Maryland identified by
				  the Department that typically have mental health needs that have limited local
				  mental health resource capacity or specialty psychiatric care.
(3) "Distant site" means the site at which
				  the psychiatrist is located at the time the mental health service is provided
				  via a telecommunications system.
(4) "Emergency department services" means
				  initial hospital services provided to individuals with a broad spectrum of
				  illnesses and injuries, some of which may be life-threatening and requiring
				  immediate attention.
(5) "Federally
				  qualified health center" has the meaning stated in Health-General Article,
				  §24-1301, Annotated Code of Maryland.
(6) "Individual practitioner" means a
				  psychiatrist who is licensed to practice psychiatry in Maryland, and either:
(a) Is certified in psychiatry by the
				  American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; or
(b) Has completed the minimum educational and
				  training requirements to be qualified to take the Board of Psychiatry and
				  Neurology examination for certification in Neurology.
(7) "Not available" means that the PMHS
				  administrative services organization certifies that the individual cannot
				  access psychiatric services.
(8)
				  "Originating site" means a site that has been approved by the Department to
				  provide TMH services, at which an eligible individual is located at the time
				  the service is delivered via a telecommunications system.
(9) "Originating site fee" means the amount
				  the Department reimburses an approved TMH originating site.
(10) "Professional fee" means the amount the
				  Department reimburses an approved TMH distant facility or licensed individual
				  mental health professional:
(a) For a clinical
				  care opinion, treatment, or both;
(b) To purchase, install, and maintain video
				  conferencing equipment;
(c) To pay
				  for line or per minute usage charges, or both; and
(d) For any additional programmatic,
				  administrative, clinical, or contingency support at the distant site.
(11) Public Mental Health System
				  (PMHS).
(a) "Public mental health system"
				  means the system for the delivery of mental health treatment and supports to
				  individuals who meet medical necessity criteria and financial eligibility as
				  established by the Administration.
(b) "Public mental health system" includes
				  the specialty mental health system described in COMAR 10.09.70.
(12) "Rural health clinic" means a
				  facility that meets the definition of a rural health clinic as contained in
				  42 CFR §
												491.2(f), as
				  amended.
(13) "Security" means the
				  protection of information and information systems from unauthorized access,
				  use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.
(14) "Telemental Health (TMH)" means the
				  delivery of mental health care at a distance through the use of
				  technology-assisted communication.
(15) "Telepresenter" means the individual at
				  the originating site who introduces the patient to the distant site provider
				  for examination, and to whom the distant site provider may delegate tasks and
				  activities, and who is:
(a) A licensed
				  independent practitioner; or
(b)
				  Licensed or certified to perform health care services by licensing, training,
				  or experience for the performance of the task or activity as long as the task
				  or activity does not require the exercise of independent medical judgment for
				  its performance.
(16)
				  "Telepresenter fee" means the amount the Department reimburses a licensed,
				  independent provider to present an individual to the TMH provider, due to
				  medical necessity, to successfully complete the examination.
(17) "Virtual private network connection"
				  means a method of connecting to a private network via a public
				  network.