MINNESOTA TELEMEDICINE LAW
When it comes to telemedicine policy, Minnesota is ahead of the curve in many respects. It’s one of the few states without patient setting restrictions, and a recent parity law protects reimbursement coverage for physicians who choose to practice telemedicine.
Minnesota is unique because it also mandates coverage for store-and-forward telemedicine, in contrast with many other states. Though Minnesota’s telemedicine laws are very progressive, the state still has narrowly tailored policies regarding what types of procedures can be performed remotely.
Parity Law
Yes! Minnesota’s telehealth parity law was signed in May 2015. This means private insurers must provide the same coverage for telemedicine and in-person visits.
Type of Telemedicine Covered
Minnesota’s Medical Assistance Program reimburses both live video and store-and-forward health services. Remote monitoring and other telehealth or “telehomecare” services can be reimbursed under the Elderly Waiver and Alternative Care programs. HMO (health maintenance organizations) may choose what telehealth and telemedicine services are guaranteed coverage as part of their physician network.
Currently, Minnesota’s Medicaid program will not cover teledentistry or telemedicine for alcohol and drug abuse services.
Covered Health Services
To be covered by one of the Minnesota Health Care Programs, a health service must be:
Medically necessary
Appropriate and effective for the medical needs of the of the patient
Able to meet quality and timeliness standards
Able to represent an effective and appropriate use of program funds
Able to meet specific limits outlined in rules adopted by DHS and explained in the service-specific MHCP Provider Manual sections
Personally rendered by a provider, except as specifically authorized in the MHCP Provider Manual
Eligible Healthcare Providers
The referring provider may be any enrolled MHCP provider including a physician, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, physician assistant, certified nurse midwife, podiatrist or mental health professional. The consulting provider must be a specialty physician or an oral surgeon.
Online Prescriptions
In Minnesota, a prescription or drug order is only valid if the referring provider performs an in-person examination, in which case a consulting specialist may issue a prescription when providing services by telemedicine.
Informed Patient Consent
Minnesota does not require informed patient consent for telemedicine.
However, we recommend getting a patient’s consent anyway as a telemedicine best practice. You can find the recommended patient consent form here.
Cross-State Telemedicine Licensing
Minnesota is part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact which will help expedite the licensure process in any of the other states who join the compact.
Restrictions on Locations
Many state Medicaid programs restrict where a patient can be located during the telemedicine visit for the service to be reimbursable. Not all programs recognize the patient’s home as an eligible health site for the visit, for instance.
Luckily, Minnesota Medicaid does not have any location restrictions! This means that telemedicine can really be an anytime, anywhere service.
Reimbursement Rates
Minnesota’s laws on telemedicine reimbursement rates are brand new. For all plans that begin on or after Jan. 1, 2017, private payers and Medicaid are required to provide coverage for telemedicine at the same reimbursement rate as in-person services.
Helpful Resources
Center for Connected Health Policy – Minnesota Page
Great Plains Telehealth Resource and Assistance Center