DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 896 Original 2024 Regular Session Myers
Abstract: Establishes the "Louisiana Remote Patient Monitoring Program Law".
Proposed law shall be known and may be cited as the "Louisiana Remote Patient Monitoring
Program Law".
Proposed law declares that remote patient monitoring services aim to allow more people to remain
at home or in other residential settings and to improve the quality and cost of their care, including
prevention of more costly care. Proposed law further provides that the goal of remote patient
monitoring services provided through telehealth is to coordinate primary, acute, chronic disease,
behavioral, and long-term social service needs for high need, high cost patients.
Proposed law defines "medical assistance program", "remote patient monitoring services", and
"telehealth".
Proposed law allows remote patient monitoring services provided through telehealth to be used by
patients who meet the requirements of proposed law and are capable and willing to use home
telehealth and can maintain performance of needed tasks, or have the availability of informal
caregivers to help with remote patient monitoring through telehealth.
Proposed law requires patients who participate in remote patient monitoring services to meet any two
of the following qualifications:
(1)Be diagnosed, in the previous 18 months, with one or more chronic conditions, as defined
by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which include but are not limited to
sickle cell, mental health, asthma, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
(2)Have a recent history of costly service use due to one or more chronic conditions as
evidenced by two or more hospitalizations, including emergency room visits, in the last 12
months.
(3)Have a recommendation from the patient's healthcare provider for disease management
services through remote patient monitoring.
Proposed law establishes certain criteria for the required assessment, problem identification,
evaluation, management planimplementation required by proposed law. Proposed law requires telehealth equipment and the network used for remote patient monitoring
services to meet all of the following requirements:
(1)Compliance with applicable standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
(2)Maintenance of telehealth equipment in good repair and free from safety hazards.
(3)Installation of only new or sanitized equipment in the patient's home setting.
(4)Accommodation of language options other than English.
(5)Availability of technical and clinical support services for the patient user 24 hours a day,7
days a week.
Proposed law requires the appropriate procedure code for the covered healthcare service to be
included in any reimbursement claim for the remote monitoring services provided with the
appropriate modifier indicating telehealth services were used.
Proposed law requires remote patient monitoring services as provided for in proposed law to be a
covered service in the medical assistance program.
Proposed law allows a telehealth installation and training fee. Requires the La. Dept. of Health to
promulgate rules and regulations as are necessary for the implementation of proposed law.
(Adds R.S. 40:1221.1 and 1227.1-1227.8)