THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	285
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO HEALTH.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to improve access to the full range of health care services to medicaid and QUEST members accessing services through a mobile medical van, by ensuring that medicaid and QUEST health plans have the flexibility to provide appropriate health services via technological means such as telehealth.  This is especially important with a new mobile medical van to begin providing services to the more remote areas on the island of Hawaii.  Allowing QUEST and medicaid members to access services through the mobile medical van will assist in improving the health of those with chronic conditions as well as improving the overall health of area residents.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§346-  Telehealth services; medicaid and QUEST. (a)  The department shall allow the use of a mobile health van equipped with telehealth services, including:

(1) Unrestricted access to an individual's primary care physician;

(2) Access to specialist care as referred by an individual's primary care physician and receiving health plan authorization as necessary; and

(3) Providing documentation to a primary care physician when documentation is related to visits to another physician.

This section does not require the department to cover patient self-referrals to providers or any services not covered by the individual's health plan benefit package.  This section shall apply only to a mobile medical van program operating in a county with a population of less than two hundred fifty thousand.

(b)  An eligible mobile health van program shall be operated by a qualified provider.

(c)  For the purposes of this section, "telehealth" means the use of telecommunications services, as defined in section 269-1, including real-time video conferencing-based communication, secure interactive and non-interactive web-based communication, and secure asynchronous information exchange, to transmit patient medical information, including diagnostic-quality digital images and laboratory results for medical interpretation and diagnosis, for the purpose of delivering enhanced health care services and information to parties separated by distance.  A standard telephone contact, facsimile transmission, or an email text, in combination or by itself, does not constitute a telehealth service for the purposes of this section."

     SECTION 3.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

     SECTION 4.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050; provided that this Act shall be repealed on June 30, 2013.

Report Title:

QUEST Telehealth Services

Description:

Provides for telehealth services coverage for medicaid and QUEST patients through an eligible mobile health van operated by a qualified provider.  Repeals June 30, 2013.  Effective July 1, 2050.  (SB285 HD1)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.