Medi-Cal: telehealth.

Existing law establishes 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. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, in-person, face-to-face contact is not required when covered health care services are provided by video synchronous interaction, audio-only synchronous interaction, remote patient monitoring, or other permissible virtual communication modalities, when those services and settings meet certain criteria. Existing law requires a provider furnishing services through video synchronous interaction or audio-only synchronous interaction, by a date set by the department, no sooner than January 1, 2024, to also either offer those services via in-person contact or arrange for a referral to, and a facilitation of, in-person care, as specified. This bill would instead require, under the above-described circumstance, a provider to maintain and follow protocols to either offer those services via in-person contact or arrange for a referral to, and a facilitation of, in-person care. The bill would specify that the referral and facilitation arrangement would not require a provider to schedule an appointment with a different provider on behalf of a patient.