Calif. governor signs bill to streamline telehealth

California Governor Jerry Brown last week signed a bill to make it easier for rural patients to utilize telehealth technology. Assembly Bill 809 changes the consent rules around use of telehealth, allowing providers to secure consent the first time patients use the technology, and removes the requirement to get consent every time a new appointment is made. Previous rules required consent from the originating site—which CMS defines as the location of an eligible Medicare beneficiary at the time the service being furnished via a telecommunications system occurs. This requirement had the potential to create logistical problems, accoding to AB809.

Source: California Healthline