State Telemedicine Policy Information
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Maryland Telemedicine Policy
Maryland Telemedicine Policy
With about 88% of general acute care hospitals already using telehealth, teleradiology, remote monitoring, diagnostic and image review, Maryland has made giant strides since passing it’s telehealth laws in 2012.
Although new regulations that went into effect in October 2014 limit the location of patient setting and the allowable types of providers, Maryland is moving forward with innovation and expansion in telemedicine.
State Policy Overview
Medicaid
Yes
Private Payer
Yes
Parity
Yes
Additional State Telemedicine Info
Parity Laws
Maryland’s private insurance parity law was enacted in 2012. Private payers in Maryland are required to cover telemedicine services in the same way as in-person medical services.
Medicaid
Maryland’s Medicaid program follows the traditional hub-and-spoke model of delivering telehealth services. In this care model, the patient goes to an eligible spoke or “originating site” to access the technology to consult with a healthcare provider at the hub or “distant site.” Maryland covers services provided via live video telehealth, but not store-and-forward or remote patient monitoring. In order to get reimbursed through Medicaid, the patient needs to be at an originating site and have access to a telepresenter. For more details, see the Maryland Telehealth Provider Manual.
Type Of Telemedicine Covered
Maryland’s Medicaid program currently only reimburses live video interactions, although the Medicaid agency has the discretion to authorize coverage of RPM and store-and-forward on a case-by-case basis.
Covered Health Services
According to Maryland’s Medicaid manual, the program will will reimburse for medically necessary somatic and behavioral health services delivered by an approved provider. Telehealth services have to follow the same restrictions and preauthorization rules as in-person services.
Eligible Healthcare Providers
Maryland Medicaid will reimburse the following provider types for telehealth:
- A nurse midwife
- A nurse practitioner
- A psychiatric nurse practitioner
- A physician
- A physician assistant
- A provider fluent in American Sign Language providing telehealth services to a deaf or hard of
hearing participant - A community-based substance use disorder provider
- An opioid treatment program
- An outpatient mental health center
- A Federally Qualified Health Center
Medicaid also requires that health care providers register as telehealth providers at this site.
Online Prescriptions
Maryland does not have any regulations about e-prescribing based on a telemedicine consult.
Informed Patient Consent
Unless there’s an emergency, Maryland providers have to obtain and document a patient’s consent for telemedicine.
Provider-Patient Relationship
Live video telemedicine can be used to establish a physician-patient relationship.
Cross-State Telemedicine Licensing
Maryland recently passed legislation to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which helps to expedite medical licensing across state lines. Maryland also has exceptions to its Maryland-only licensed physicians’ rule for telemedicine. The Maryland Medicaid program allows physicians in the adjoining states of Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania to provide telemedicine services to a patient in Maryland, as long as they have an agreement set with an eligible originating site in Maryland.
Restrictions On Locations
Medicaid patients have to receive telehealth services while at an eligible originating site:
- College or university student health or counseling office
- Community-based substance use disorder provider
- Deaf or hard of hearing participant’s home or any other secure location approved by the participant and provider
- An elementary, middle, high or technical school with a supported nursing, counseling or medical office
- Local health department
- FQHC
- Hospital, including the emergency department
- Nursing facility
- Private office
- Opioid treatment program
- An outpatient mental health center
- Renal dialysis center; or
- Residential services site
Effective October 1, 2015, Maryland Medicaid combined the Telemedicine and Telemental Health Programs and renamed them as the Telehealth Program. The Telehealth Program serves Medicaid participants regardless of geographic location within Maryland.
Telehealth providers have to enroll in the Maryland Medical Assistance Program and register as an originating or distant site via this online form.
Reimbursement Rates
Maryland’s telehealth parity law requires telemedicine services to be reimbursed at the same rate as in-person medical services.