Temporary Lifted Restrictions on State Licensure and the Effect on Telemedicine
- Sas Ponnapalli
- 0
- on May 08, 2020
Temporary Lifted Restrictions of State Licensure and the Effect on Telemedicine
Since the declaration of a national emergency in March, the Centers for Medicare have “broadened access” for telehealth coverage. States around the country have re-evaluated licensure protocol. With the temporary lift on restrictions of state licensure and the effect on telemedicine, it begs the following questions: How can providers acquire licensure in outside states, and how can telehealth assist those providers to care for patients in other states?
Acquiring out-of-state licenses
At the time of writing this article, the Federation of State Medical Boards has reported that all 50 states currently have language in place to allow out-of-state physicians to provide care for patients experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19. Some states require special steps. For instance, in Florida, an out-of-state provider is required to register with an applicable board and meet certain criteria before they can be designated as an appointed Registered Agent. All 50 states have outlined requirements for out-of-state providers to apply for telehealth licensure. While the guidelines for each state may vary, the need for care across the country is desperate during these unprecedented times.
How telehealth is helping
As providers create new relationships in different states during the Public Health Emergency, telehealth is creating new and exciting ways to remove the gap between provider and patient. The public is flocking towards caregivers who are providing access to telehealth due to the restrictions in place during the Public Health Emergency. It is critical for people to feel comfortable during this time of unease, and making sure the line of communication is user-friendly for both the provider and the patient allows for this to happen. This means having a HIPAA compliant, encrypted line of communication available during these connections. At Beam Health, we have achieved both of these objectives.
The Beam Health Platform is up-to-date in both HIPAA compliance and encryption, using Amazon Web Hosting Services. We pride ourselves on how user-friendly our applications are, not only for the workflow implementation for the provider but also for the patient. Here is an example of a Beam Health consultation using our web app.
Beam Health knows that providers are looking to improve the service patients receive. Telehealth has become a vital instrument in providing modern care. Contact a Beam Health Team Member to schedule a demo to see how Beam Health can help you!