Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01052 Compare Versions

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4		-	Substitute Senate Bill No. 1052
	7	+	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1052
	8	+	January Session, 2019
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6		-	Public Act No. 19-76
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9	12		AN ACT EXPANDING MED ICAID COVERAGE OF TELEHEALTH
10	13		SERVICES.
11	14		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
12	15		Assembly convened:
13	16
14		-	Section 1. Section 17b-245e of the general statutes is repealed and
15		-	the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019):
16		-	(a) For purposes of this section: (1) "Commissioner" means the
17		-	Commissioner of Social Services; (2) "department" means the
18		-	Department of Social Services; and (3) "telehealth" has the same
19		-	meaning as provided in section 19a-906.
20		-	(b) The department shall [, within available state and federal
21		-	resources,] provide coverage under the Medicaid program for
22		-	telehealth services for categories of health care services that the
23		-	commissioner determines are (1) clinically appropriate to be provided
24		-	by means of telehealth, (2) cost effective for the state, and (3) likely to
25		-	expand access to medically necessary services where there is a clinical
26		-	need for those services to be provided by telehealth or for Medicaid
27		-	recipients for whom accessing appropriate health care services poses
28		-	an undue hardship. The commissioner may provide coverage of
29		-	telehealth services pursuant to this section notwithstanding any
30		-	provision of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies that would Substitute Senate Bill No. 1052
	17	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) For purposes of this 1
	18	+	section, (1) "telehealth" means the remote delivery of physical and 2
	19	+	mental health care services to facilitate the diagnosis, treatment, 3
	20	+	education, care management and self-management of a patient via 4
	21	+	information and communication technologies that may include, but 5
	22	+	are not limited to, (A) videoconferencing, (B) computer programs, and 6
	23	+	(C) mobile cellular phone applications; (2) (A) "asynchronous", (B) 7
	24	+	"originating site", (C) "remote patient monitoring", (D) "store and 8
	25	+	forward transfer", and (E) "synchronous" have the same meaning as 9
	26	+	provided in section 19a-906 of the general statutes; and (3) "electronic 10
	27	+	consultations" means the sharing of information and advice 11
	28	+	electronically by providers. 12
	29	+	(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall expand coverage of 13
	30	+	telehealth services under the medical assistance program. 14
	31	+	Notwithstanding any provision of section 19a-906 of the general 15
	32	+	statutes, the commissioner shall provide Medicaid coverage state wide 16
	33	+	not later than July 1, 2020, for (1) asynchronous transmission of health 17
	34	+	information, (2) electronic consultations, (3) remote patient monitoring, 18
	35	+	(4) store and forward transfer of a patient's medical information, and 19
	36	+	(5) synchronous forms of telehealth services whenever such coverage 20 Substitute Bill No. 1052
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32		-	Public Act No. 19-76 2 of 2
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34		-	otherwise prohibit coverage of telehealth services. The commissioner
35		-	may implement policies and procedures as necessary to carry out the
36		-	provisions of this section while in the process of adopting the policies
37		-	and procedures as regulations, provided notice of intent to adopt the
38		-	regulations is published in accordance with the provisions of section
39		-	17b-10.
40		-	(c) The commissioner shall seek any federal waiver or amend the
41		-	Medicaid state plan as necessary to attempt to secure federal
42		-	reimbursement for the costs of providing such coverage under the
43		-	Medicaid program. An application for such waiver or proposed
44		-	amendment to the Medicaid state plan shall be submitted to the joint
45		-	standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of
46		-	matters relating to human services and appropriations and the budgets
47		-	of state agencies as required under the provisions of section 17b-8.
48		-	(d) Not later than [January 1, 2018] August 1, 2020, the
49		-	commissioner shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions
50		-	of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General
51		-	Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and
52		-	public health [concerning the telehealth services provided to Medicaid
53		-	recipients, if any, in accordance with the provisions of this section] on
54		-	(1) the categories of health care services in which the department is
55		-	utilizing telehealth services, (2) in what cities or regions of the state
56		-	such services are being offered, and (3) any cost savings realized by the
57		-	state by providing telehealth services.
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	43	+	meets federal Medicaid requirements for efficiency, economy and 21
	44	+	quality of care. 22
	45	+	(c) On and after July 1, 2019, the commissioner shall phase in state-23
	46	+	wide coverage of telehealth services beginning with (1) chronic 24
	47	+	conditions, including, but not limited to, diabetes and cardiac 25
	48	+	conditions, (2) behavioral disorders, including, but not limited to, 26
	49	+	substance abuse, and (3) mental health disorders. The commissioner 27
	50	+	shall establish requirements for telehealth providers to (A) ensure 28
	51	+	privacy of patient information and (B) obtain consent for telehealth 29
	52	+	services. The commissioner may limit coverage of telehealth services to 30
	53	+	originating sites and licensed providers approved by the 31
	54	+	commissioner. 32
	55	+	(d) The commissioner may seek federal approval for a Medicaid 33
	56	+	state plan amendment, if necessary, to establish rates of 34
	57	+	reimbursement for telehealth services not already included under 35
	58	+	other rates of reimbursement in the Medicaid state plan. The 36
	59	+	commissioner shall seek federal approval of any Medicaid waiver or 37
	60	+	other program authorized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 38
	61	+	Services that would allow for (1) a more expeditious expansion of 39
	62	+	telehealth services, or (2) a higher rate of federal reimbursement for 40
	63	+	such services. The submission of any such Medicaid state plan 41
	64	+	amendment or waiver shall be in accordance with the provisions of 42
	65	+	section 17b-8 of the general statutes. 43
	66	+	Sec. 2. Section 17b-245e of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective 44
	67	+	from passage) 45
	68	+	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
	69	+	sections:
	70	+
	71	+	Section 1 from passage New section
	72	+	Sec. 2 from passage Repealer section
	73	+	Substitute Bill No. 1052
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	80	+	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
	81	+	In Section 1(a), the definitions of "telehealth" and "telemental health"
	82	+	were combined and redrafted for clarity and accuracy and
	83	+	subdivisions were redesignated accordingly; in Section 1(c), "(A)" was
	84	+	added before "ensure" and "(B) obtain" was added before "consent" for
	85	+	clarity and consistency with drafting conventions.
	86	+
	87	+	HS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
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