BILL NUMBER: S6846

SPONSOR: RIVERA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to modifying the
definition of telehealth provider

 
PURPOSE:

To codify and expand the definition of a telehealth provider.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends subdivision 2 of section 2999-cc of public health law,
to expand the definition of a telehealth provider, to include any health
care provider who: possesses the requisite license, credentials, regis-
tration, and authorization or credentialing to provide health care
services in the state, who determines that it is clinically appropriate
to deliver health care services via telehealth, and who offers the
option of receiving telehealth services to consenting patients.
              

Section 2 provides for the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Accessing health care services via telehealth has proven to be critical
in ensuring the safety of residents for whom being in a health care
setting may expose them to disease such as seniors, immunocompromised
individuals, and people with chronic conditions, as well as providing
patients with confidential and comprehensive health care from the safety
of their homes.

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic it was clear that many parts of the
state lack access to basic healthcare services. In rural communities,
the issue is exacerbated by a lack of reliable and functional public
transportation. For the people living in these communities, telehealth
is an effective tool to ensure that they can access basic healthcare
services.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has underlined these shortcomings in our health-
care system. In the face of the pandemic, New Yorkers have been asked to
stay home and follow strict social distancing guidelines; we have asked
employees to work from home where possible, students to transition to
online learning, and we have encouraged the use of telehealth for the
delivery of healthcare services.

Telehealth services have been essential during the course of the COVID-
19 pandemic, and it is only appropriate that the definition of a tele-
health provider be permanently expanded.This bill would codify the
current flexibility of telehealth providers during the COVID-19 State of
Emergency, to cover all bases of these providers.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.