HB537:

Telemedicine; out of state providers, behavioral health services.

Bill Summary:

Telemedicine; out of state providers; behavioral health services. Allows certain practitioners of professions regulated by the Boards of Medicine, Counseling, Psychology, and Social Work who provide behavioral health services and who are licensed in another state, the District of Columbia, or a United States territory or possession and in good standing with the applicable regulatory agency to engage in the practice of that profession in the Commonwealth with a patient located in the Commonwealth when (i) such practice is for the purpose of providing continuity of care through the use of telemedicine services and (ii) the practitioner has previously established a practitioner-patient relationship with the patient. The bill provides that a practitioner who provides behavioral health services to a patient located in the Commonwealth through use of telemedicine services may provide such services for a period of no more than one year from the date on which the practitioner began providing such services to such patient.