TENNESSEE TELEMEDICINE LAW
This year’s been big for Tennessee! Their parity law went into effect in January 2015, and in the spring, their legislature passed a bill which focused on preventing the state medical board from adopting stricter stands for telemedicine than in-person care.
In turn, Tennessee doesn’t have strict limitations on prescribing or patient setting, which is great news for telemedicine providers.
Ready to find out more about Tennessee’s telemedicine policy?
Keep on reading.
Parity Law
Tennessee passed a parity law in 2014, which requires private payers, Medicaid, managed care plans and state employee health plans to provide equivalent reimbursement for telemedicine and in-person services.
Type of Telemedicine Covered
Tennessee’s telemedicine policy guarantees coverage for both live video and store-and-forward telemedicine.
Covered Health Services
Tennessee’s telemedicine parity law does not guarantee coverage for home health remote patient monitoring
Billing Codes
Don’t forget to use your GT modifier to designate telemedicine!
Online Prescriptions
Physicians may prescribe medicine following a telemedicine visit, provided they document and:
Perform an appropriate history and physical examination
Make a diagnosis, consistent with good medical care
Formulate a therapeutic plan and discuss it with the patient
Ensure the availability for appropriate follow-up care
Telemedicine can be used to establish a patient-provider relationship for prescribing.
Informed Patient Consent
For a physician to receive reimbursement through Medicaid, patients must be informed and given an opportunity to request an in-person assessment prior to telemedicine treatment. This consent must be documented in the medical record.
Interstate Telemedicine Licensing
If not already licensed to practice medicine in Tennessee, out-of-state physicians may obtain a special telemedicine license in order to practice telemedicine.
Restrictions on Locations
There are no restrictions on patient setting or distance for telemedicine in Tennessee. That’s a barrier many states face, but not in this state!
Reimbursement Rates
Tennessee’s parity law protects reimbursement rates for telemedicine, requiring reimbursement to be equivalent to in-person care.
Helpful Resources