House Study Bill 572 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE BILL BY CHAIRPERSON COWNIE) A BILL FOR An Act relating to insurance coverage for health care services 1 delivered by telehealth, and including applicability 2 provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5449YC (3) 87 ko/rj

H.F. _____ Section 1. NEW SECTION . 514C.32 Health care services 1 delivered by telehealth —— coverage. 2 1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise 3 requires: 4 a. “Health care professional” means the same as defined in 5 section 514J.102. 6 b. “Health care services” means the same as defined in 7 section 514J.102. 8 c. “Telehealth” means the delivery of health care services 9 through the use of interactive audio, video, or other 10 electronic media. “Telehealth” does not include the delivery 11 of health care services through an audio-only telephone, 12 electronic mail message, or facsimile transmission. 13 2. Notwithstanding the uniformity of treatment requirements 14 of section 514C.6, a policy, contract, or plan providing for 15 third-party payment or prepayment of health or medical expenses 16 shall not discriminate between coverage benefits for health 17 care services that are provided in person and the same health 18 care services that are delivered through telehealth. 19 3. Health care services that are delivered by telehealth 20 must be delivered in accordance with generally accepted health 21 care practices and standards prevailing at the time the health 22 care services are provided, including all rules adopted by the 23 appropriate professional licensing board, pursuant to chapter 24 147, having oversight of the health care professional providing 25 the health care services. 26 4. This section applies to the following classes of 27 third-party payment provider policies, contracts, or plans 28 delivered, issued for delivery, continued, or renewed in this 29 state on or after July 1, 2018: 30 a. Individual or group accident and sickness insurance 31 providing coverage on an expense-incurred basis. 32 b. An individual or group hospital or medical service 33 contract issued pursuant to chapter 509, 514, or 514A. 34 c. An individual or group health maintenance organization 35 -1- LSB 5449YC (3) 87 ko/rj 1/ 3

H.F. _____ contract regulated under chapter 514B. 1 d. A plan established pursuant to chapter 509A for public 2 employees. 3 5. This section shall not apply to accident-only, 4 specified disease, short-term hospital or medical, hospital 5 confinement indemnity, credit, dental, vision, Medicare 6 supplement, long-term care, basic hospital and medical-surgical 7 expense coverage as defined by the commissioner, disability 8 income insurance coverage, coverage issued as a supplement 9 to liability insurance, workers’ compensation or similar 10 insurance, or automobile medical payment insurance. 11 6. The commissioner of insurance shall adopt rules pursuant 12 to chapter 17A as necessary to administer this section. 13 EXPLANATION 14 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 15 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 16 This bill relates to insurance coverage for health 17 care services delivered by telehealth. The bill defines 18 “telehealth” as the delivery of health care services through 19 the use of interactive audio, video, or other electronic 20 media. “Telehealth” does not include the delivery of health 21 care services through an audio-only telephone, electronic mail 22 message, or facsimile transmission. 23 The bill requires a health insurer to provide the same 24 coverage for covered health care services whether the 25 health care services are provided in person or delivered by 26 telehealth. If the health care services are delivered by 27 telehealth, they must be provided in accordance with generally 28 accepted health care practices and standards prevailing at the 29 time the health care services are provided. The bill requires 30 the commissioner of insurance to adopt rules to administer the 31 Code section. 32 The bill is applicable to third-party payment provider 33 policies, contracts, or plans delivered, issued for delivery, 34 continued, or renewed in this state on or after July 1, 2018, 35 -2- LSB 5449YC (3) 87 ko/rj 2/ 3

H.F. _____ including individual or group accident and sickness insurance 1 providing coverage on an expense-incurred basis, individual or 2 group hospital or medical service contracts issued pursuant 3 to Code chapter 509, 514, or 514A, individual or group health 4 maintenance organization contracts regulated under Code chapter 5 514B, and plans established pursuant to Code chapter 509A for 6 public employees. 7 The bill does not apply to accident-only, specified disease, 8 short-term hospital or medical, hospital confinement indemnity, 9 credit, dental, vision, Medicare supplement, long-term care, 10 basic hospital and medical-surgical expense coverage as defined 11 by the commissioner, disability income insurance coverage, 12 coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance, 13 workers’ compensation or similar insurance, or automobile 14 medical payment insurance. 15 -3- LSB 5449YC (3) 87 ko/rj 3/ 3