BILL REQ. #: H-2150.2
| State of Washington | 61st Legislature | 2009 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/23/09.
AN ACT Relating to the delivery of home health care services through telemedicine; and adding a new section to chapter 74.09 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 74.09 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) In-person contact between a home health care registered nurse
and a patient is not required under the state's medical assistance
program for home health services that are: (a) Delivered with the
assistance of telemedicine and (b) otherwise eligible for reimbursement
as a medically necessary skilled home health nursing visit under the
program.
(2) The department in consultation with home health care service
providers shall develop reimbursement rules and, in rule, define the
requirements that must be met for a reimbursable skilled nursing visit
when services are rendered without a face-to-face visit and are
assisted by telemedicine.
(3)(a) The department shall establish the reimbursement rate for
skilled home health nursing services delivered with the assistance of
telemedicine that meet the requirements of a reimbursable visit as
defined by the department.
(b) Reimbursement is not provided for purchase or lease of
telemedicine equipment.
(4) Any home health agency licensed under chapter 70.127 RCW and
eligible for reimbursement under the medical programs authorized under
this chapter may be reimbursed for services under this section if the
service meets the requirements for a reimbursable skilled nursing visit
as defined by the department.
(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter the scope
of practice of any home health care services provider or authorizes the
delivery of home health care services in a setting or manner not
otherwise authorized by law.
(6) For the purposes of this section, "telemedicine" means the use
of telemonitoring to enhance the delivery of certain home health
medical services through:
(a) The provision of certain education related to health care
services using audio, video, or data communication instead of a face-to-face visit; or
(b) The collection of clinical data and the transmission of such
data between a patient at a distant location and the home health
provider through electronic processing technologies. Objective
clinical data that may be transmitted includes, but is not limited to,
weight, blood pressure, pulse, respirations, blood glucose, and pulse
oximetry.