The New Jersey Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee unanimously passed a telemedicine bill in a 11-0 vote June 12, according to nj.com.
A-1464 would require insurance companies, including state Medicaid, to reimburse telemedicine services at the same rate as in-person visits. It also subjects healthcare practitioners who provide telemedicine services to the same standards of care and rules of practice as in-person visits.
"The use of telemedicine shall not alter or diminish any existing duty or responsibility of the healthcare practitioner or any assistant thereof, including, but not limited to, any duty or responsibility related to recordkeeping, or the maintenance of patient confidentiality," the bill reads.
The Senate approved a similar bill, S-291, last year, but will have to reconsider A-1464 with its new amendments. One of the amendments, for example, would require the New Jersey Department of Health to collect data on patients who use telemedicine services, nj.com reports.
Click here to view the full bill.
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