Medical telemedicine: optometrists.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, regulates the practice of telemedicine, defined as the practice of health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, transfer of medical data, and education using interactive audio, video, or data communications. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, authorizes "teleophthalmology and teledermatology by store and forward" under the Medi-Cal program, to the extent that federal financial participation is available. Existing law defines "teleophthalmology and teledermatology by store and forward" as an asynchronous transmission of medical information to be reviewed at a later time by a physician at a distant site who is trained in ophthalmology or dermatology, where the physician at the distant site reviews the medical information without the patient being present in real time. This bill would expand the definition of "teleophthalmology and teledermatology by store and forward" to include an asynchronous transmission of medical information to be reviewed at a later time, for teleophthalmology, by a licensed optometrist.