State Telemedicine Policy Information
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Louisiana Telemedicine Policy
Louisiana Telemedicine Policy
Louisiana is on the road to better telemedicine access with the passage of the Louisiana Telehealth Access Act in 2014. The state of Louisiana definitely recognizes how telemedicine is able to provide healthcare services to more patients at a lower cost.
State Policy Overview
Medicaid
Yes
Private Payer
Yes
Parity
Yes
Additional State Telemedicine Info
Parity Laws
Louisiana passed their first private payer parity law in 1995, requiring private payers to cover telemedicine in the same way as in-person medical services. However, the law currently only requires coverage for telehealth services provided by physicians.
Medicaid
Louisiana Medicaid covers “services provided via an interactive audio and video telecommunications system.” This definition of telehealth includes live video telemedicine and remote patient monitoring, but not store-and-forward solutions. The state also only reimburses distant site healthcare providers, not providers who may be facilitating the visit at the originating site where the patient is.
Type Of Telemedicine Covered
Louisiana Medicaid currently covers live video telemedicine and some costs associated with remote patient monitoring. There’s no coverage yet for store-and-forward telemedicine.
Covered Health Services
Louisiana’s Medicaid program covers telehealth used to substitute for an in-person encounter in the case of consultations, office visits, individual psychotherapy, and pharmacologic management. For more details, check out the Louisiana State Medicaid Provider Manual.
Eligible Healthcare Providers
Licensed physicians in Louisiana are eligible to bill Medicaid for telemedicine services.
Online Prescriptions
The state of Louisiana prohibits providers from prescribing controlled, dangerous substances to patients without first doing a physical exam or taking an in-person patient history. Physicians must be certified by one of the boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties before they can write a prescription for narcotics or amphetamines.
Informed Patient Consent
Some states require providers to get a patient’s informed consent specifically for a telemedicine visit. In Louisiana, informed patient consent is required to do a telemedicine visit.You can read more about how to do telemedicine informed consent here.
Cross-State Telemedicine Licensing
Louisiana is not yet part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. However, Louisiana allows out-of-state doctors to apply for a telemedicine license to provide virtual services within the state.
Restrictions On Locations
Some states have requirements on the location of the patient at the time of the telehealth visit (such as in a Rural Health Clinic). Luckily Louisiana does not have any restrictions on patient location.