TELEMEDICINE SERVICES; DISTANT PROVIDER                         S.B. 1135 (S-1):

                                                                                         SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                         REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 1135 (Substitute S-1 as reported)

Sponsor:  Senator Michael D. MacDonald

Committee:  Health Policy and Human Services

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Social Welfare Act to do the following:

-- Specify that, beginning on the bill's effective date, telemedicine services would be covered under the medical assistance program and Healthy Michigan Program (HMP) if those services were provided at, or contracted through, a distant site allowed in the Medicaid provider manual.

-- Require the medical assistance program and HMP to include a comprehensive set of the programs' services and benefits as covered telemedicine services.

-- Require the medical assistance program and HMP to authorize as many types of healthcare distant providers as allowable by law to render telemedicine services.

-- Specify that telemedicine services would be covered both when a distant provider's synchronous interactions occurred using an audio and video electronic media or when using an audio only electronic media.

-- Require a distant provider to notify the recipient that personally identifiable health information would be discussed during the telemedicine services and require the distant provider to encourage the recipient to proceed with the telemedicine service only if the recipient were in a safe and private environment.

-- Prescribe certain actions the medical assistance program and HMP could not take, including reimbursing distant providers for telemedicine services at a lower rate than comparable services rendered in person, except when reimbursing a provider who exclusively provided telemedicine services.

-- Require that reimbursement for telemedicine services authorized under Section 105h be contingent upon the availability of Federal financial participation for those services in the medical assistance program and the HMP.

-- Require that telemedicine services authorized under Section 105h be incorporated in rate development for any managed care program that was implemented in the medical assistance program and the HMP subject to Federal actuarial soundness requirements.

MCL 400.105h                                       Legislative Analyst:  Stephen P. Jackson

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local units of government, as it would codify current Medicaid and HMP policy as specified under MSA policy bulletin 20-13.

Date Completed:  9-30-22                                  Fiscal Analyst:  Ellyn Ackerman

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.