OREGON TELEMEDICINE LAW
Oregonians, you’re lucky–telemedicine policies in Oregon are rapidly becoming some of the least restrictive in the nation. Notably, Oregon’s parity law mandates reimbursement for a diverse array of telemedicine services that often aren’t covered in other states.
Oregon’s interstate practice laws are still a little restrictive, and with no legislation proposed for joining the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, we don’t know how long it could take for those policies to change. Regardless, Oregon is well on its way to being a true leader in the telehealth policy department.
Ready to find out more about Oregon’s telemedicine policy? Keep on reading!
Parity Law
Oregon’s telemedicine parity law includes mandates for private payers and, as of June 2015, state employee health plans! A telemedicine parity law requires private payers to reimburse telemedicine services in the same way as in-person services.
Type of Telemedicine Covered
Oregon Medicaid will reimburse for live video, as well as email and telephone when used for patient consulting or when videoconferencing availability is limited.
Billing Codes
Oregon allows for multiple definitions of telemedicine, and you can read about the appropriate coding practices by downloading the Oregon Medicaid Reimbursement rules here.
Don’t forget your GT modifier! Providers should use the GT modifier if an evaluation was made by a synchronous (live and interactive) transmission.
Interstate Telemedicine Licensing
Qualifying out-of-state physicians have the option of applying for a full license or a telemedicine permit to practice in OR.
Prescriptions
If prescribing across state lines, a physician must:
Establish a physician-patient relationship;
Make a judgment based on some type of objective criteria upon which to diagnose, treat, correct or prescribe;
Not write prescriptions based only on an Internet survey
Restrictions on Locations
Oregon’s originating site location restrictions were just removed in June 2015! Additionally, plans may not distinguish between originating sites that are rural and urban in providing coverage.
Other Reimbursable Fees
Oregon Medicaid will provide transmission fees for originating sites.
Reimbursement Rates
Reimbursement rates for telemedicine services are on par with rates for in-person services.
Helpful Resources