FLORIDA
FLORIDA’S TELEMEDICINE POLICY!
Although new telemedicine legislation was brought to the Florida Senate this past year, the bill wasn’t passed because lawmakers could not agree on whether out-of-state physicians should be allowed to treat Florida patients via telemedicine.
Even without the telehealth law in place, Florida’s Medicaid system does reimburse doctors for live video telemedicine appointments. Many healthcare providers are already actively using telehealth in their practices.
Ready to find out more about Florida’s telemedicine policy? Check out our state guide below!
Parity Law
There are no parity laws in Florida right now. All this means is that the state does not yet legally require private payers or Medicaid to cover telemedicine services the same way as in-person services. However, Florida’s Medicaid coverage and many private payers still do reimburse for some telemedicine services. Check back soon for updates!
Type of Telemedicine Covered
Currently, Florida reimburses for live video telemedicine (think secure, videochat).
Covered Health Services
Florida’s Medicaid program allows providers to deliver the following health services via telemedicine:
Behavioral health services
Dental services
Physician E&M services
Interpretation of diagnostic testing results by Florida licensed physicians
Billing Codes
To bill for telemedicine, Florida providers should use consultation codes 99241 through 99255, along with the GT modifier to indicate telemedicine.
Want more details? Check out the Florida Medicaid Handbook.
Eligible Healthcare Providers
Only physicians can receive reimbursement for telemedicine services.
Online Prescriptions
Florida policy says providers cannot prescribe controlled substances through telemedicine. The one exception to this rule is for hospitalized patients.
Informed Patient Consent
Florida Medicaid requires patient consent for telemedicine. Providers also need to document patients’ consent in their medical record.
Interstate Telemedicine Licensing
There is no interstate licensing available for Florida yet. Check back for updates!
Restrictions on Locations
Like many Medicaid programs, Florida Medicaid requires that for each telemedicine visit, the patient be located at a spoke site and a physician at a hub site. In Florida, an eligible spoke site can be:
Hospital outpatient setting
Inpatient setting
Physician office
Provider-Patient Relationship
A physician-patient relationship can be established through telemedicine.
Documenting Barriers to In-Person Care
For each telemedicine visit, the provider needs to document a brief explanation of why the services were not provided face to face. They also need to record the service and result of medical assessment, and signed patient consent.
Reimbursement Rates
Reimbursement rates for telemedicine services are the
same as for face-to-face services.
Helpful Resources
Center for Connected Health Policy
The American Telemedicine Association State Policy Matrix
Florida Telehealth Resource Center
Southeastern Telehealth Resource Center