Telehealth: This bill would delete the above-described references to contracts issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021, would require these provisions to apply to the plan or insurer’s contracted entity, as specified, and would delete the exemption for Medi-Cal managed care plans. The bill would subject county organized health systems, and their subcontractors, that provide services under the Medi-Cal program to the above-described Knox-Keene requirements relative to telehealth. The bill would authorize a provider to enroll or recertify an individual in Medi-Cal programs through telehealth and other forms of virtual communication, as specified.
This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to indefinitely continue the telehealth flexibilities in place during the COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency. The bill would require the department, by January 2022, to convene an advisory group with specified membership to provide input to the department on the development of a revised Medi-Cal telehealth policy that promotes specified principles. The bill would require the department, by December 2024, to complete an evaluation to assess the benefits of telehealth in Medi-Cal, including an analysis of improved access for patients, changes in health quality outcomes and utilization, and best practices for the right mix of in-person visits and telehealth. The bill would require the department to report its findings and recommendations from the evaluation to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature no later than July 1, 2025.