Minnesota Telemedicine Policy, Simplified.
Healthcare legislation is complicated. Let’s clarify a few things.
Minnesota Telemedicine Policy, Simplified.
Healthcare legislation is complicated. Let’s clarify a few things.
When it comes to telemedicine policy, Minnesota is ahead of the curve in many respects. Its 2015 telehealth parity law mandates reimbursement of telemedicine for private payers and state employee health plans, including dental plans. Minnesota also requires coverage for store-and-forward telemedicine, in contrast to many other states.
Definition of telemedicine and related terms
Minnesota Statues, section 62A.671, defines telemedicine and related terms for purposes of
the provisions described above. These definitions also have the effect of specifying the covered
modes of telemedicine and the provider types eligible to provide telemedicine services. Some
of the most relevant definitions are summarized below.
Telemedicine is defined as “the delivery of health care services or consultations while the
patient is at an originating site and the licensed health care provider is at a distant site.” Other
components of the definition are that:
Distant site is the “site at which a licensed health care provider is located while providing
health care services or consultations by means of telemedicine.”
Originating site means “a site including, but not limited to, a health care facility at which a
patient is located at the time health care services are provided to the patient by means of
telemedicine.”
Medical Assistance Coverage of Telemedicine
Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.0625, subdivision 3b, sets requirements for Medical
Assistance (MA) coverage of telemedicine delivered through the fee-for-service system. These
requirements are described below. A final sub-section describes MA and MinnesotaCare
coverage of telemedicine u
The public health emergency declared by Governor Walz necessitated the temporary modifications listed in this manual section. Refer to the policy and procedures shown here for changes that we have made to the Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare programs in relation to COVID-19. Unless expressly listed, all other program requirements continue to apply. All provisions shown here are time-limited. Consult this information regularly for the most up-to-date information.
The Minnesota Legislature approved this policy change to continue. See the IEP Services section of the MHCP Provider Manual.
The commissioner has approved a waiver, effective Nov. 12, 2020, that will temporarily allow MHCP to reimburse for Individualized Education Program (IEP) personal care assistance (PCA) services in a child’s home during distance learning. The child must have a current Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) based on their current plan of care and time study that identifies the child’s need for the PCA.
Schools should continue to follow the covered and noncovered criteria, recordkeeping and documentation outlined in the IEP Personal Care Assistance (PCA) Services section of the MHCP Provider Manual. Policy coverage did not change.