The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) will vote next month on a proposed policy that addresses the location and licensing requirements for physicians practicing telemedicine. The proposed legislation calls for the FSMB to codify that medical care takes place at the patient's location rather than the provider's location and also ensures that the same standards apply for both virtual and face-to-face care. The policy states, "Physicians who treat or prescribe through online service sites ... must possess appropriate licensure in all jurisdictions where patients receive care."
Meanwhile, the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) recently asked the Department of Health and Human Services to remove telemedicine restrictions on accountable care organizations and other "unnecessary" limitations on Medicare providers. Medicare's 2014 physician fee schedule expands coverage for telehealth services to what the ATA calls "the fringes of metropolitan areas." It said the proposed rules were an "incremental" step. Document (.pdf)