Telehealth changes approved

A bill that would make changes to telehealth provision in Nebraska was approved April 10.

As originally introduced by Lincoln Sen. Kathy Campbell, LB1076, would have required that proposed changes in Medicaid authorization and payment for medically necessary home health services and reimbursement rates be delayed until the state Department of Health and Human Services has reviewed the results of other state’s pilot programs.

Those provisions were removed by an amendment offered by Campbell during select file debate.

The bill also was amended to add provisions of LB1078, introduced by Omaha Sen. Jeremy Nordquist, related to telehealth service provision in Nebraska. The provisions update the definition of telehealth—the electronic exchange of information—for the purpose of monitoring a patient from a remote location and transmitting patient data electronically to a health care practitioner for analysis and storage.

The measure also clarifies that the reimbursement rate for a telehealth consultation be set at least as high as the Medicaid rate for a comparable in-person consultation regardless of the distance between the health care practitioner and the patient.

LB1076 passed on a 48-0 vote.