(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Border community” means border areas adjacent to the State of California where it is customary practice for California residents to use medical resources in adjacent areas outside the state. Under these circumstances, program controls and limitations are the same as for services rendered by health care providers within the state.

(2) “Health care provider” has the same meaning as set forth in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of § 2290.5 of the Business and Professions Code, and shall be either enrolled as a Medi-Cal rendering provider, or a nonphysician medical practitioner affiliated with an enrolled Medi-Cal provider group. “Health care provider” also includes any provider type designated by the department pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b). The enrolled Medi-Cal provider or provider group for which the health care provider renders services via telehealth shall meet all Medi-Cal requirements and shall be located in the state or a border community.

(3) “Health care service plan” has the same meaning as set forth in subdivision (f) of § 1345 of the Health and Safety Code.

(4) “Medi-Cal managed care plan” has the same meaning as set forth in subdivision (j) of Section 14184.101.

(5) “Network provider” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 438.2 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(6) “Telehealth” has the same meaning as set forth in paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) of § 2290.5 of the Business and Professions Code.

(b) (1) Subject to subdivision (k), in-person, face-to-face contact between a health care provider and a patient is not required under the Medi-Cal program for covered health care services and provider types designated by the department, when provided by video synchronous interaction, asynchronous store and forward, as defined in subdivision (a) of § 2290.5 of the Business and Professions Code, audio-only synchronous interaction, remote patient monitoring, or other permissible virtual communication modalities, when those services and settings meet the applicable standard of care and meet the requirements of the service code being billed.

(2) (A) In implementing this section, the department shall designate and periodically update the covered health care services and provider types, including required licensing and credentialing criteria, as applicable, which may be appropriately delivered via the telehealth modalities described in this subdivision.

(B) Applicable health care services appropriately provided through video synchronous interaction, asynchronous store and forward, audio-only synchronous interaction, remote patient monitoring, or other permissible virtual communication modalities are subject to billing, reimbursement, and utilization management policies imposed by the department. Subject to subdivision (k), utilization management protocols adopted by the department pursuant to this section shall be consistent with, and no more restrictive than, those authorized for health care service plans pursuant to § 1374.13 of the Health and Safety Code.

(c) (1) (A) Pursuant to an effective date designated by the department that is no sooner than January 1, 2024, a Medi-Cal provider furnishing applicable health care services via audio-only synchronous interaction shall also offer those same health care services via video synchronous interaction to preserve beneficiary choice.

(B) (i) The department may provide specific exceptions to the requirement specified in subparagraph (A), based on a Medi-Cal provider’s access to requisite technologies, which shall be developed in consultation with affected stakeholders and published in departmental guidance.

(ii) In making exceptions to the requirement specified in subparagraph (A), in addition to the provisions in clause (i), the department may also take into consideration the availability of broadband access based on speed standards set by the Federal Communications Commission, pursuant to Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Pub. L. No. 104-104) or other applicable federal law or regulation.

(2) Effective on the date designated by the department pursuant to paragraph (1), a provider furnishing services through video synchronous interaction or audio-only synchronous interaction shall also maintain and follow protocols to do one of the following:

(A) Offer those services via in-person, face-to-face contact.

(B) (i) Arrange for a referral to, and a facilitation of, in-person care that does not require a patient to independently contact a different provider to arrange for that care.

(ii) Clause (i) does not require a provider to schedule an appointment with a different provider on behalf of a patient.

(3) In implementing this subdivision, the department shall consider additional recommendations from affected stakeholders regarding the need to maintain access to in-person services without unduly restricting access to telehealth services.

(4) A health care provider may establish a new patient relationship with a Medi-Cal beneficiary via video synchronous interaction consistent with any requirements imposed by the department.

(5) (A) A health care provider shall not establish a new patient relationship with a Medi-Cal beneficiary via asynchronous store and forward, telephonic (audio-only) synchronous interaction, remote patient monitoring, or other virtual communication modalities, except as set forth in paragraph (4) of subdivision (g) of Section 14132.100.

(B) Notwithstanding the prohibition in subparagraph (A), the department may provide for specific exceptions to this prohibition, the department may provide for specific exceptions described in clauses (i) and (ii), which shall be developed in consultation with affected stakeholders and published in departmental guidance.

(i) Notwithstanding the prohibition in subparagraph (A), a health care provider may establish a new patient relationship using an audio-only synchronous interaction when the visit is related to sensitive services, as defined in subdivision (p) of § 56.05 of the Civil Code, and when established in accordance with department-specific requirements and consistent with federal and state law, regulations, and guidance.

(ii) Notwithstanding the prohibition in subparagraph (A), a health care provider may establish a new patient relationship using an audio-only synchronous interaction when the patient requests an audio-only modality or attests they do not have access to video, and when established in accordance with department-specific requirements and consistent with federal and state laws, regulations, and guidance.

(6) Subject to subdivision (k), the department may establish separate fee schedules for applicable health care services delivered via remote patient monitoring or other permissible virtual communication modalities.

(7) This subdivision does not apply to Medi-Cal covered services delivered by providers via any telehealth modality to eligible inmates in state prisons, county jails, or youth correctional facilities.

(d) In addition to any existing law requiring beneficiary consent to telehealth, including, but not limited to, subdivision (b) of § 2290.5 of the Business and Professions Code, all of the following shall be communicated by a health care provider to a Medi-Cal beneficiary, in writing or verbally, on at least one occasion prior to, or concurrent with, initiating the delivery of one or more health care services via telehealth to a Medi-Cal beneficiary: an explanation that beneficiaries have the right to access covered services that may be delivered via telehealth through an in-person, face-to-face visit; an explanation that use of telehealth is voluntary and that consent for the use of telehealth can be withdrawn at any time by the Medi-Cal beneficiary without affecting their ability to access covered Medi-Cal services in the future; an explanation of the availability of Medi-Cal coverage for transportation services to in-person visits when other available resources have been reasonably exhausted; and the potential limitations or risks related to receiving services through telehealth as compared to an in-person visit, to the extent any limitations or risks are identified by the provider.

(1) The provider shall document in the patient record the provision of this information and the patient’s verbal or written acknowledgment that the information was received.

(2) The department shall develop, in consultation with affected stakeholders, model language for purposes of the communication described in this subdivision.

(3) This subdivision does not apply to Medi-Cal covered services delivered by providers via any telehealth modality to eligible inmates in state prisons, county jails, or youth correctional facilities.

(e) (1) The department shall develop, in consultation with affected stakeholders, an informational notice to be distributed to fee-for-service Medi-Cal beneficiaries and for use by Medi-Cal managed care plans in communicating to their enrollees. Information in the notice shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(A) The availability of Medi-Cal covered telehealth services.

(B) The beneficiary’s right to access all medically necessary covered services through in-person, face-to-face visits, and a provider’s and Medi-Cal managed care plan’s responsibility to offer or arrange for that in-person care, as applicable.

(C) An explanation that use of telehealth is voluntary and that consent for the use of telehealth can be withdrawn by the Medi-Cal beneficiary at any time without affecting their ability to access covered Medi-Cal services in the future.

(D) An explanation of the availability of Medi-Cal coverage for transportation services to in-person visits when other available resources have been reasonably exhausted.

(E) Notification of the beneficiary’s right to make complaints about the offer of telehealth services in lieu of in-person care or about the quality of care delivered through telehealth.

(2) The informational notice shall be translated into threshold languages determined by the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 14029.91 and provided in a format that is culturally and linguistically appropriate.

(3) This subdivision does not apply to Medi-Cal covered services delivered by providers via any telehealth modality to eligible inmates in state prisons, county jails, or youth correctional facilities.

(f) (1) Subject to subdivision (k), the department shall reimburse health care providers of applicable health care services delivered via video synchronous interaction, synchronous audio-only modality, or asynchronous store and forward, as applicable, at payment amounts that are not less than the amounts the provider would receive if the services were delivered via in-person, face-to-face contact, so long as the services or settings meet the applicable standard of care and meet the requirements of the service code being billed.

(2) Subject to subdivision (k), for applicable health care services appropriately provided by a network provider via video synchronous interaction, audio-only synchronous interaction modality, or asynchronous store and forward, as applicable, to an enrollee of a Medi-Cal managed care plan, the Medi-Cal managed care plan shall reimburse the network provider at payment amounts that are not less than the amounts the network provider would have received if the services were delivered via in-person, face-to-face contact, unless the Medi-Cal managed care plan and network provider mutually agree to reimbursement in different amounts.

(g) On or before January 1, 2023, the department shall develop a research and evaluation plan that does all of the following:

(1) Proposes strategies to analyze the relationship between telehealth and the following: access to care, access to in-person care, quality of care, and Medi-Cal program costs, utilization, and program integrity.

(2) Examines issues using an equity framework that includes stratification by available geographic and demographic factors, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, primary language, age, and gender, to understand inequities and disparities in care.

(3) Prioritizes research and evaluation questions that directly inform Medi-Cal policy.

(h) Applicable health care services provided through asynchronous store and forward, video synchronous interaction, audio-only synchronous interaction, remote patient monitoring, or other permissible virtual communication modalities as described in this section shall comply with the privacy and security requirements contained in the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 found in Parts 160 and 164 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the Medicaid State Plan, and any other applicable state and federal statutes and regulations.

(i) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may implement, interpret, and make specific this section by means of all-county letters, plan letters, provider bulletins, and similar instructions, without taking any further regulatory action.

(j) Consistent with the requirements of this section and subject to subdivision (k), a PACE organization approved by the department pursuant to Chapter 8.75 (commencing with Section 14591) may use video telehealth to conduct initial assessments and annual reassessments for eligibility for enrollment in the PACE program.

(k) The department shall seek any federal approvals it deems necessary to implement this section. This section shall be implemented only to the extent that any necessary federal approvals are obtained and federal financial participation is available and is not otherwise jeopardized.

(l) This section shall be operative on January 1, 2023, or on the operative date or dates reflected in the applicable federal approvals obtained by the department pursuant to subdivision (k), whichever is later.

(m) This section does not apply to health care services provided via telehealth in an FQHC or RHC visit as described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (g) of Section 14132.100.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 172, Sec. 1. (AB 1241) Effective January 1, 2024. Conditionally operative on or after January 1, 2023, by its own provisions.)