House File 2305 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2305 BY COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 572) 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 5449HV (2) 87 ko/rj

H.F. 2305 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 and video. “Telehealth” 10 does not include the delivery of health care services through 11 an audio-only telephone, electronic mail message, or facsimile 12 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 appropriate and delivered in accordance with applicable 21 law and generally accepted health care practices and standards 22 prevailing at the time the health care services are provided, 23 including all rules adopted by the appropriate professional 24 licensing board, pursuant to chapter 147, having oversight 25 of the health care professional providing the health care 26 services. 27 4. This section applies to the following classes of 28 third-party payment provider policies, contracts, or plans 29 delivered, issued for delivery, continued, or renewed in this 30 state on or after January 1, 2019: 31 a. Individual or group accident and sickness insurance 32 providing coverage on an expense-incurred basis. 33 b. An individual or group hospital or medical service 34 contract issued pursuant to chapter 509, 514, or 514A. 35 -1- LSB 5449HV (2) 87 ko/rj 1/ 3

H.F. 2305 c. An individual or group health maintenance organization 1 contract regulated under chapter 514B. 2 d. A plan established pursuant to chapter 509A for public 3 employees. 4 5. This section shall not apply to accident-only, 5 specified disease, short-term hospital or medical, hospital 6 confinement indemnity, credit, dental, vision, Medicare 7 supplement, long-term care, basic hospital and medical-surgical 8 expense coverage as defined by the commissioner, disability 9 income insurance coverage, coverage issued as a supplement 10 to liability insurance, workers’ compensation or similar 11 insurance, or automobile medical payment insurance. 12 6. The commissioner of insurance may adopt rules pursuant to 13 chapter 17A as necessary to administer this section. 14 EXPLANATION 15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 16 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 17 This bill relates to insurance coverage for health 18 care services delivered by telehealth. The bill defines 19 “telehealth” as the delivery of health care services through 20 the use of interactive audio and video. “Telehealth” does 21 not include the delivery of health care services through an 22 audio-only telephone, electronic mail message, or facsimile 23 transmission. 24 The bill requires a health insurer to provide the same 25 coverage for covered health care services whether the 26 health care services are provided in person or delivered by 27 telehealth. If the health care services are delivered by 28 telehealth, they must be appropriate and provided in accordance 29 with applicable law and generally accepted health care 30 practices and standards prevailing at the time the health care 31 services are provided. The commissioner of insurance may adopt 32 rules to administer the Code section. 33 The bill is applicable to third-party payment provider 34 policies, contracts, or plans delivered, issued for delivery, 35 -2- LSB 5449HV (2) 87 ko/rj 2/ 3

H.F. 2305 continued, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 1 2019, including individual or group accident and sickness 2 insurance providing coverage on an expense-incurred basis, 3 individual or group hospital or medical service contracts 4 issued pursuant to Code chapter 509, 514, or 514A, individual 5 or group health maintenance organization contracts regulated 6 under Code chapter 514B, and plans established pursuant to Code 7 chapter 509A for public employees. 8 The bill does not apply to accident-only, specified disease, 9 short-term hospital or medical, hospital confinement indemnity, 10 credit, dental, vision, Medicare supplement, long-term care, 11 basic hospital and medical-surgical expense coverage as defined 12 by the commissioner, disability income insurance coverage, 13 coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance, 14 workers’ compensation or similar insurance, or automobile 15 medical payment insurance. 16 -3- LSB 5449HV (2) 87 ko/rj 3/ 3