Medi-Cal: telehealth: reproductive health care.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services, as specified. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law provides that, to the extent that federal financial participation is available, face-to-face contact between a health care provider and a patient is not required under the Medi-Cal program for "teleophthalmology, teledermatology, and teledentistry by store and forward," as defined to mean the asynchronous transmission of medical information to be reviewed at a later time by a licensed physician or optometrist, as specified, at a distant site. This bill would enact similar provisions relating to the use of reproductive health care under the Medi-Cal program. The bill would provide that, to the extent that federal financial participation is available, face-to-face contact between a health care provider and a patient shall not be required under the Medi-Cal program for "reproductive health care provided by store and forward." The bill would define that term to mean an asynchronous transmission of medical information to be reviewed at a later time by a physician, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, licensed midwife, physician assistant, or registered nurse at a distant site, where the provider at the distant site reviews the dental information without the patient being present in real time, as defined and as specified. The bill would require Medi-Cal managed care plans that contract with the department to cover reproductive health care provided by store and forward. This bill would also provide that, to the extent federal financial participation is available and any necessary federal approvals are obtained, telephonic and electronic patient management services, as defined, provided by a physician or nonphysician health care provider acting within his or her scope of licensure shall be a benefit under the Medi-Cal program in fee-for-service and managed care delivery systems, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to seek approval of any state plan amendments necessary to implement these provisions.