Amendment #857 to H4600

Task Force on Interstate Telehealth and Patient Continuity of Care

Mr. Scanlon of North Attleborough moves to amend the bill by adding the following sections:

SECTION XXXX. a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the executive office of health and human services shall establish a task force to address barriers and impediments to the practice of telehealth across state lines. The task force shall consist of: the secretary of the executive office of health and human services or a designee who shall serve as chair; the commissioner of the department of public health or a designee; the commissioner of the department of mental health or a designee; the executive director of the board of registration in medicine or a designee; the Undersecretary of the office of consumer affairs and business regulation or a designee; a representative from the health policy commission; a representative from the Massachusetts Medical Society; a representative from the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association; and a representative from the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers.

b) The task force shall conduct an analysis and issue a report evaluating the commonwealth’s options to facilitate appropriate interstate medical practice and the practice of telemedicine including consideration of the recommendations from the Federation of State Medical Boards Workgroup on telemedicine, the Telehealth Act developed by the Uniform Law Commission, model legislation developed by the American Medical Association, the interstate medical licensure compact, and/or other licensure reciprocity agreements. The analysis and report shall include but not be limited to: (i) an analysis of physician job vacancies in the commonwealth broken down by practice specialization and projected vacancies based on the demographics of the commonwealth’s physician workforce and medical school graduate retention rates; (ii) an analysis of other states’ entry into the interstate medical licensure compact and any impact on quality of care resulting from entry; (iii) an analysis of the ability of physicians to provide follow-up care across state lines, including via telehealth; (iv) an analysis of registration models for providers who may provide care for patients via telehealth with the provider located in one state and the patient located in another state, provided that said analysis would include delineation of provider responsibilities for registration and reporting to state professional licensure boards; (v) an analysis of impacts to health care quality, cost and access resulting from other states’ entry into a medical licensure compact, as well as anticipated impacts to health care quality, cost and access associated with entry into an interstate medical licensure compact; (vi) evaluations of barriers and solutions regarding prescribing across state lines; (vii) evaluations of the feasibility of a regional reciprocity agreement allowing telemedicine across state lines both for existing patient provider relationships and/or the establishment of new relationships; (viii) evaluations of the feasibility of the establishment of  interstate proxy credentialing; (ix)  recommendations to support the continuity of care for patients utilizing telehealth across state lines including, but not limited to, recommendations to support the continuity of care for children and adolescents when providing telehealth across state lines; (x) consideration of the recommendations from the Federation of State Medical Boards Workgroup on telemedicine, the Telehealth Act developed by the Uniform Law Commission,  model legislation developed by the American Medical Association, the interstate medical licensure compact, and/or other reciprocity agreements.

(c) The task force shall submit its recommendations to the governor and the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate not later than February 1, 2025.

SECTION XXXX. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the executive office of health and human services shall establish a task force to address barriers and impediments to the practice of telehealth by health professionals across state lines. including advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, behavioral and allied health professions, and other health professions licensed or certified by the Department of Public Health. The task force shall consist of: the secretary of the executive office of health and human services or a designee who shall serve as chair; the commissioner of the department of public health or a designee; the commissioner of the department of mental health or a designee; the executive director of the board of registration in nursing or a designee; the Undersecretary of the office of consumer affairs and business regulation or a designee; and 12 persons to be appointed by the secretary of the executive office of health and human services representing organizations that represent advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, hospitals, patients, social workers, behavioral health professions, allied health professions, telehealth and other healthcare professionals licensed or certified by the Department of Public Health.

(b) The task force shall: i) investigate interstate license reciprocity models with other nearby states for advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, behavioral health, social workers, allied health and other health professionals licensed or certified by the Department of Public Health to ensure that there is sufficient access for professionals throughout the region and ensure that continuity of care for patients is achieved for patients that access services in state’s throughout the region; ii) consider recommendations to support the continuity of care for patients utilizing telehealth across state lines including but not limited to recommendations to support the continuity of care for children and adolescents when providing telehealth across state lines; and iii) examine registration models for providers who may provide care for patients via telehealth with the provider located in one state and the patient located in another state. Such examination would include delineation of provider responsibilities for registration and reporting to state professional licensure boards.

(c) The task force shall submit its recommendations to the governor and the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate not later than February 1, 2025.

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #857 to H4600

Task Force on Interstate Telehealth and Patient Continuity of Care