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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, Second Regular Session
telemedicine; health care providers
Purpose
Adds specified licensed health care professionals to the definition of health care provider as it relates to telemedicine.
Background
Current statute defines telemedicine as the practice of health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation and treatment and the transfer of medical data through interactive audio, video or data communications that occur in the physical presence of the patient, including audio or video communications sent to a health care provider for diagnostic or treatment consultation. The term health care provider, as it relates to telemedicine, includes licensed podiatrists, allopaths, naturopaths, homeopaths osteopaths, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, physician assistants, radiologic technologist and behavioral health professionals (A.R.S. § 36-3601).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Includes chiropractors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, hearing aid dispensers, audiologists and speech-language pathologists in the definition of health care provider as it relates to telemedicine.
2. Modifies the definition of telemedicine to mean the interactive use of audio, video or other electronic media, including asynchronous store-and-forward technologies and remote patient monitoring technologies, for the purpose of diagnosis, consultation or treatment.
3. Specifies
that telemedicine does not include the sole use of an audio-only
telephone, a
video-only system, a fax machine, instant messages or an email.
4. Makes a technical change.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
HHS 2/13/20 DPA 8-0-0-1
3rd Read 2/26/20 59-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 9, 2020
CRS/KS/kja