§ 27-81-4. Coverage of telemedicine services. (a) Each health insurer that issues individual or group accident-and-sickness insurance policies for health-care services and/or provides a health-care plan for health-care services shall provide coverage for the cost of such covered health-care services provided through telemedicine services, as provided in this section.

(b) A health insurer shall not exclude a health-care service for coverage solely because the health-care service is provided through telemedicine and is not provided through in-person consultation or contact, so long as such health-care services are medically appropriate to be provided through telemedicine services and, as such, may be subject to the terms and conditions of a telemedicine agreement between the insurer and the participating health-care provider or provider group.

(c) Benefit plans offered by a health insurer may impose a deductible, copayment, or coinsurance requirement for a health-care service provided through telemedicine.

(d) The requirements of this section shall apply to all policies and health plans issued, reissued, or delivered in the state of Rhode Island on and after January 1, 2018.

(e) This chapter shall not apply to: short-term travel, accident-only, limited or specified disease; or individual conversion policies or health plans; nor to policies or health plans designed for issuance to persons eligible for coverage under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, known as Medicare; or any other similar coverage under state or federal governmental plans.

History of Section. (P.L. 2016, ch. 177, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 188, § 1.)