The Georgia Composite Medical Board has made a new regulation governing the standards for telemedicine practice, according to a post in the Health Care Law Today blog by Nathaniel Lacktman of Foley & Lardner.
Lacktman says the newly enacted regulation is meant to establish the minimum standards of practice while providing online medical treatment and consultation. The regulation is important as Georgia is one of the leading states in the field, having mandated commercial coverage of telemedicine. Here are some highlights:
- State licenses: Telemedicine practice in Georgia must be done by Georgia-licensed providers, according to Lacktman. This includes physicians, their assistants and advanced-practice registered nurses.
- In-person exams: Before seeing someone virtually, the regulation requires an in-person examination. But there are exceptions to the rule.
- Records: The telemedicine professionals must have access to the patient’s medical history and keep records of the encounter that are to be shared with any referring practitioner.
