House File 706 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 706
BY FRY
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to reimbursement rates for health care services
2 provided to covered persons by telehealth, and including
3 applicability provisions.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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 H.F. 706
1 Section 1. Section 514C.34, subsection 1, Code 2021, is
2 amended by adding the following new paragraphs:
3 NEW PARAGRAPH. 0a. “Covered person” means the same as
4 defined in section 514J.102.
5 NEW PARAGRAPH. 00a. “Facility” means the same as defined in
6 section 514J.102.
7 NEW PARAGRAPH. 0c. “Health carrier” means the same as
8 defined in section 514J.102.
9 Sec. 2. Section 514C.34, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code
10 2021, is amended to read as follows:
11 c. “Telehealth” means the delivery of health care services
12 through the use of real-time interactive audio and video, or
13 other real-time interactive electronic media, regardless of
14 where the health care professional and the covered person are
15 each located. “Telehealth” does not include the delivery of
16 health care services delivered solely through an audio-only
17 telephone, electronic mail message, or facsimile transmission.
18 Sec. 3. Section 514C.34, Code 2021, is amended by adding the
19 following new subsection:
20 NEW SUBSECTION. 3A. a. A health carrier shall reimburse
21 a health care professional and a facility for health care
22 services provided by telehealth to a covered person located
23 at a facility on the same basis and at the same rate as the
24 health carrier would apply to the same health care services
25 provided to a covered person by the health care professional
26 and a facility in person.
27 b. As a condition of reimbursement pursuant to paragraph
28 “a”, a health carrier shall not require that an additional
29 health care professional be located in the same room as a
30 covered person while health care services for a mental health
31 condition, illness, injury, or disease are delivered via
32 telehealth by another health care professional to the covered
33 person.
34 Sec. 4. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to health care
35 services provided by a health care professional or a facility
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 H.F. 706
1 to a covered person by telehealth on or after January 1, 2022.
2 EXPLANATION
3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
4 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
5 This bill requires a health carrier (carrier) to reimburse
6 a health care professional (professional) or facility for
7 health care services (services) provided to a covered person
8 by telehealth on the same basis and at the same rate as the
9 carrier would apply to the same services provided to the
10 covered person by the professional or facility in person. As
11 a condition of reimbursement, the carrier is prohibited from
12 requiring that an additional professional be located in the
13 same room as the covered person while services for a mental
14 health condition, illness, injury, or disease are delivered via
15 telehealth by another professional to the covered person.
16 The bill defines “telehealth” as the delivery of services
17 through the use of real-time interactive audio and video, or
18 other real-time interactive electronic media, regardless of
19 where the professional and covered person are each located, not
20 including the delivery of services delivered solely through an
21 audio-only telephone, electronic mail message, or facsimile
22 transmission. Current law defines “telehealth” as the delivery
23 of services through the use of interactive audio and video,
24 not including the delivery of services through an audio-only
25 telephone, electronic mail message, or facsimile transmission.
26 The bill applies to services provided by a professional or a
27 facility to a covered person by telehealth on or after January
28 1, 2022.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 514C.34