During the 2016 legislative session to date, legislatures in
Louisiana and Missouri considered bills to amend telemedicine
policies. Louisiana H.B. 570, introduced on March 3, would remove
the current requirement that a physician providing services via
telemedicine maintain an office or an arrangement with a physician
who maintains an office within the state. Further, the proposed
legislation deletes the requirement that communications via
telemedicine be both video and audio, leaving a choice between
video or audio transmission. Missouri H.B. 1923, introduced on January 6, would
establish a new telemedicine policy dictated by the standard of
care applicable to in-person services. Although the law would
require a telemedicine provider to establish a proper
physician–patient relationship before rendering telemedicine
services, under the law, such relationship can be established
through the use of telemedicine.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.