Friday, May 20, 2022
Telehealth has become a popular, more accessible method of health care delivery for Hoosiers, especially since the pandemic. Recently, advancements in new technology revealed a higher need for telehealth services; however, eligible providers are limited.
More health care fields have use for telehealth, substantiating the need for an expansion of professionals that are able to utilize and practice such services.
Senate Enrolled Act 284 consolidates Medicaid telehealth language and extends the types of practitioners who can practice telehealth to include specified developmental therapists, clinical fellows, school psychologists, students and graduates of certain professional programs, physical therapist assistants and certain community mental health care providers.
SEA 284 also allows behavioral health analysts to temporarily perform telehealth services while the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency prepares to implement licensure for the profession.
There is a significant health care worker shortage across all professions, and Senate Enrolled Act 5 establishes a procedure to grant reciprocity for licenses and certificates so that out-of-state professionals may practice immediately in Indiana. SEA 284 will then allow a wider range of these practitioners to practice telehealth in order for the expansion of available services.
To read more about SEA 284 and other legislation passed this session, click here.
