HF 147

1st Engrossment - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 04/08/2019 05:55pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; allowing community paramedics and community
medical response emergency medical technicians to provide telemedicine services;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 256B.0625, subdivision 3b.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 256B.0625, subdivision 3b, is amended to
read:

Subd. 3b.

Telemedicine services.

(a) Medical assistance covers medically necessary
services and consultations delivered by a licensed health care provider via telemedicine in
the same manner as if the service or consultation was delivered in person. Coverage is
limited to three telemedicine services per enrollee per calendar week. Telemedicine services
shall be paid at the full allowable rate.

(b) The commissioner shall establish criteria that a health care provider must attest to
in order to demonstrate the safety or efficacy of delivering a particular service via
telemedicine. The attestation may include that the health care provider:

(1) has identified the categories or types of services the health care provider will provide
via telemedicine;

(2) has written policies and procedures specific to telemedicine services that are regularly
reviewed and updated;

(3) has policies and procedures that adequately address patient safety before, during,
and after the telemedicine service is rendered;

(4) has established protocols addressing how and when to discontinue telemedicine
services; and

(5) has an established quality assurance process related to telemedicine services.

(c) As a condition of payment, a licensed health care provider must document each
occurrence of a health service provided by telemedicine to a medical assistance enrollee.
Health care service records for services provided by telemedicine must meet the requirements
set forth in Minnesota Rules, part 9505.2175, subparts 1 and 2, and must document:

(1) the type of service provided by telemedicine;

(2) the time the service began and the time the service ended, including an a.m. and p.m.
designation;

(3) the licensed health care provider's basis for determining that telemedicine is an
appropriate and effective means for delivering the service to the enrollee;

(4) the mode of transmission of the telemedicine service and records evidencing that a
particular mode of transmission was utilized;

(5) the location of the originating site and the distant site;

(6) if the claim for payment is based on a physician's telemedicine consultation with
another physician, the written opinion from the consulting physician providing the
telemedicine consultation; and

(7) compliance with the criteria attested to by the health care provider in accordance
with paragraph (b).

(d) For purposes of this subdivision, unless otherwise covered under this chapter,
"telemedicine" is defined as the delivery of health care services or consultations while the
patient is at an originating site and the licensed health care provider is at a distant site. A
communication between licensed health care providers, or a licensed health care provider
and a patient that consists solely of a telephone conversation, e-mail, or facsimile transmission
does not constitute telemedicine consultations or services. Telemedicine may be provided
by means of real-time two-way, interactive audio and visual communications, including the
application of secure video conferencing or store-and-forward technology to provide or
support health care delivery, which facilitate the assessment, diagnosis, consultation,
treatment, education, and care management of a patient's health care.

(e) For purposes of this section, "licensed health care provider" means a licensed health
care provider under section 62A.671, subdivision 6, deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin a community paramedic as defined
under section 144E.001, subdivision 5f, or new text end a mental health practitioner defined under section
245.462, subdivision 17, or 245.4871, subdivision 26, working under the general supervision
of a mental health professional; "health care provider" is defined under section 62A.671,
subdivision 3; and "originating site" is defined under section 62A.671, subdivision 7.