State Telemedicine Policy Information
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Massachusetts Telemedicine Policy
Massachusetts Telemedicine Policy
While Massachusetts has traditionally lagged behind it’s neighboring states on the telemedicine front, there’s reason for telemedicine providers to be optimistic. As of July 2018, the state has pending legislation to expand access to telemedical services and establish telehealth parity laws for private insurance and Medicaid coverage.
State Policy Overview
Medicaid
Yes
Private Payer
No
Parity
No
Additional State Telemedicine Info
Parity Laws
While Massachusetts has not yet passed a telehealth parity law, one is currently in process. Parity laws require private insurance plans and state Medicaid programs to cover telehealth services on the same basis as in-person care.
Medicaid
Massachusetts Medicaid only covers telehealth services for select managed care organizations, not fee-for-service. The state still lacks a formal policy for reimbursing telemedicine services through Medicaid. However, proposed legislation may change things.
Eligible Healthcare Providers
Massachusetts does not restrict which healthcare providers can use telemedicine to treat patients.
Online Prescriptions
Massachusetts law requires physicians to establish a relationship with the patient before e-prescribing. This includes taking a medical history and completing an exam. You can view the official regulation here.
Informed Patient Consent
Massachusetts does not have any regulations around getting informed patient consent for telemedicine visits.
Cross-State Telemedicine Licensing
Unfortunately, Massachusetts has not yet joined the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which speeds up the medical licensing process across state lines.
Restrictions On Locations
Massachusetts does not restrict the patient location at the time of the telemedicine visit.