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Last session, the legislature passed HB 265 to establish a permanent statutory framework for telehealth services and ensure that every Alaskan has access to necessary critical health care. When a constituent with ALS contacted our office about the the lack telehealth services for individuals suffering from a life-threatening disease like ALS, we recognized the need to improve the prior legislation. In order to continue receiving care from her multidisciplinary care team at a specialty clinic in Seattle that is not available in Alaska, current law requires the constituent to travel in-person to the clinic for all of her specialty treatment.
Senate Bill 91
I introduced Senate Bill 91 to address this unintended consequence of HB 265. Once passed, the legislation will allow out-of-state physicians and multidisciplinary care team members to provide telehealth services to Alaskans in limited circumstances including treatment for life-threatening conditions. The bill applies to two different situations.
In the first situation, SB 91 permits on-going treatment or follow-up care from an out-of-state physician or member of their multidisciplinary care team related to services previously provided by the physician to the patient. SB 91 requires that the physician and patient have an established physician-patient relationship and the physician has previously examined the patient at an in-person visit.
The second situation addressed in the bill is when a patient receives care for a suspected or diagnosed life-threatening condition. To receive treatment from a non-physician member of the multidisciplinary care team, SB 91 requires a documented referral to the member of the multidisciplinary care team by either a physician licensed in Alaska or by a physician licensed out-of-state with whom the patient has a previously-established relationship.
Please let us know if you would like to learn more about this important legislation.
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