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House approves telehealth bill clarifying definitions and state behavioral-health payments
Summary
The House passed HB 340 (third substitute) 59–11, clarifying telehealth definitions and authorizing state payment for behavioral-health telehealth services in certain circumstances; sponsors cited provider partnerships and pilot uses such as telestroke and tele-ICU.
On March 1 the House adopted the third substitute for HB 340, a bill that updates telehealth definitions and requires study of reimbursement across payors while authorizing state payment for behavioral-health telehealth services where the state is the payor.
Representative Ivory, sponsor of the substitute, said lawmakers worked with payers and providers — naming the University of Utah and Select Health — to refine language and payment provisions. "We worked with a number of the payers and providers to clean up the language on the reimbursement for telehealth services," Ivory said, adding that the bill "lays a foundation" for telehealth use including asynchronous and synchronous services.
Representative Hemingway asked about online prescribing limits for abortion-related medications in telehealth contexts; Ivory explained the provision addresses online-prescribing rules and is not a Medicaid payment section. The Utah Medical Association voiced support, and the House approved the bill by a recorded vote of 59 yes, 11 no; the clerk recorded it will be transmitted to the Senate.
