Nationwide, states continue to enact laws requiring commercial health plans to cover medical services provided via telemedicine to the same extent they cover medical services provided in-person. These laws are intended to promote innovation and care delivery in the private sector by catalyzing health care providers and plans to invest in and use the powerful telemedicine technologies available in the marketplace.

Delaware Telemedicine Commercial Insurance Requirements –

Declaring ‘‘liberty and independence’’ from the constraints of brick and mortar health care, Delaware became the 29th state to enact a telemedicine commercial reimbursement statute. After unanimously passing both the House and Senate, the governor signed it into law on July 7, 2015, reflecting strong bipartisan support for telemedicine in Delaware. The new law takes effect immediately and positions Delaware to embrace efforts that will provide incentives for health insurers and health care providers to support the use of telemedicine and encourage state agencies to evaluate and amend their policies and rules to foster and promote the use of telemedicine services.

Originally published in Bloomberg BNA's Health Law Reporter - July 23, 2015.