(h) Nothing in this section prohibits a carrier from providing coverage or reimbursement for health-care services appropriately provided through telehealth to a covered person who is not located at an originating site.
(3) A health benefit plan or dental plan is not required to pay for consultation provided by a provider by telephone or facsimile unless the consultation is provided through HIPAA-compliant interactive audio-visual communication or the use of a HIPAA-compliant application via a cellular telephone.
(4) As used in this section:
(a) Distant site means a site at which a provider is located while providing health-care services by means of telehealth.
(b) Originating site means a site at which a patient is located at the time health-care services are provided to him or her by means of telehealth.
(b.5) Remote monitoring means the use of synchronous or asynchronous technologies to collect or monitor medical and other forms of health data for individuals at an originating site and electronically transmit that information to providers at a distant site so providers can assess, diagnose, consult, treat, educate, provide care management, suggest self-management, or make recommendations regarding a covered person's health care.
(c) Store-and-forward transfer means the electronic transfer of a patient's medical information or an interaction between providers that occurs between an originating site and distant sites when the patient is not present.
(d) Repealed.
(e) Telehealth means a mode of delivery of health-care services through HIPAA-compliant telecommunications systems, including information, electronic, and communication technologies, remote monitoring technologies, and store-and-forward transfers, to facilitate the assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management, or self-management of a covered person's health care while the covered person is located at an originating site and the provider is located at a distant site.
