BILL NUMBER: AB 678	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Pan

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to amend Section 14132.72 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to Medi-Cal.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 678, as introduced, Pan. Medi-Cal: telemedicine.
   Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services,
pursuant to which medical benefits are provided to public assistance
recipients and certain other low-income persons. Existing law
recognizes telemedicine as a legitimate means by which an individual
may receive medical services under the Medi-Cal program.
   This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 14132.72 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
is amended to read:
   14132.72.  (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to recognize
the practice of telemedicine as a legitimate means by which an
individual may receive medical services from a health care provider
 ,  without person-to-person contact with the provider.
   (b) For the purposes of this section, "telemedicine" and
"interactive" are defined as those terms are defined in subdivision
(a) of Section 2290.5 of the Business and Professions Code.
   (c) (1) Commencing July 1, 1997, face-to-face contact between a
health care provider and a patient shall not be required under the
Medi-Cal program for services appropriately provided through
telemedicine, subject to reimbursement policies developed by the
Medi-Cal program to compensate licensed health care providers who
provide health care services, that are otherwise covered by the
Medi-Cal program, through telemedicine. The audio and visual
telemedicine system used shall, at a minimum, have the capability of
meeting the procedural definition of the Current Procedural
Terminology Fourth Edition (CPT-4) codes which represent the service
provided through telemedicine. The telecommunications equipment shall
be of a level of quality to adequately complete all necessary
components to document the level of service for the CPT-4 code
billed. If a peripheral diagnostic scope is required to assess the
patient, it shall provide adequate resolution or audio quality for
decisionmaking.
   (2) The department shall report to the appropriate committees of
the Legislature, by January 1, 2000, on the application of
telemedicine to provide home health care; emergency care; critical
and intensive care, including neonatal care; psychiatric evaluation;
psychotherapy; and medical management as potential Medi-Cal benefits.

   (d) The Medi-Cal program shall not be required to pay for
consultation provided by the health care provider by telephone or
facsimile machines.
   (e) The Medi-Cal program shall pursue private or federal funding
to conduct an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and quality of
health care provided through telemedicine by those providers who are
reimbursed for telemedicine services by the program.