2026 -- H 7278

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO INSURANCE -- TELEMEDICINE COVERAGE ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives Hopkins, McNamara, Nardone, J. Brien, Casimiro,
Shanley, Perez, Fascia, Read, and Tanzi

     Date Introduced: January 23, 2026

     Referred To: House Health & Human Services

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 27-81-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-81 entitled "Telemedicine

Coverage Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     27-81-3. Definitions.

     As used in this chapter:

     (1) “Clinically appropriate” means care that is delivered in the appropriate medical setting.

     (2) “Distant site” means a site at which a healthcare provider is located while providing

healthcare services by means of telemedicine.

     (3) “Healthcare facility” means an institution providing healthcare services or a healthcare

setting, including, but not limited to: hospitals and other licensed inpatient centers; ambulatory

surgical or treatment centers; skilled nursing centers; residential treatment centers; diagnostic,

laboratory and imaging centers; and rehabilitation and other therapeutic health settings.

     (4) “Healthcare professional” means a physician or other healthcare practitioner licensed,

accredited, or certified to perform specified healthcare services consistent with state law.

     (5) “Healthcare provider” means a healthcare professional or a healthcare facility.

     (6) “Healthcare services” means any services included in the furnishing to any individual

of medical, podiatric, or dental care, or hospitalization, or incident to the furnishing of that care or

hospitalization, and the furnishing to any person of any and all other services for the purpose of

preventing, alleviating, curing, or healing human illness, injury, or physical disability.

     (7) “Health insurer” means any person, firm, or corporation offering and/or insuring

healthcare services on a prepaid basis, including, but not limited to, a nonprofit service corporation,

a health maintenance organization, the Rhode Island Medicaid program, including its contracted

managed care entities, or an entity offering a policy of accident and sickness insurance.

     (8) “Health maintenance organization” means a health maintenance organization as defined

in chapter 41 of this title.

     (9) “Medically necessary” means medical, surgical, or other services required for the

prevention, diagnosis, cure, or treatment of a health-related condition, including services necessary

to prevent a decremental change in either medical or mental health status.

     (10) “Nonprofit service corporation” means a nonprofit hospital service corporation as

defined in chapter 19 of this title, or a nonprofit medical service corporation as defined in chapter

20 of this title.

     (11) “Originating site” means a site at which a patient is located at the time healthcare

services are provided to them by means of telemedicine, which can include a patient’s home where

medically necessary and clinically appropriate.

     (12) “Policy of accident and sickness insurance” means a policy of accident and sickness

insurance as defined in chapter 18 of this title.

     (13) “Rhode Island Medicaid program” means a state-administered, medical assistance

program that is funded by the state and federal governments under Title XIX and Title XXI of the

U.S. Social Security Act and any general or public laws and administered by the executive office

of health and human services.

     (14) “Store-and-forward technology” means the technology used to enable the transmission

of a patient’s medical information from an originating site to the healthcare provider at the distant

site without the patient being present.

     (15) “Telemedicine” means the delivery of clinical healthcare services consistent with the

standard of care by use of store-and-forward technology; real time, two-way synchronous audio,

video, telephone-audio-only communications; or electronic media or other telecommunications

technology including, but not limited to: online adaptive interviews, remote patient monitoring

devices, audiovisual communications, including the application of secure video conferencing or

store-and-forward technology to provide or support healthcare delivery, which facilitate

assessment, diagnosis, counseling and prescribing treatment, and care management of a patient’s

health care while such patient is at an originating site and the healthcare provider is at a distant site,

consistent with applicable federal laws and regulations. “Telemedicine” does not include an email

message or facsimile transmission between the provider and patient, or an automated computer

program used to diagnose and/or treat ocular or refractive conditions.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO INSURANCE -- TELEMEDICINE COVERAGE ACT

***

     This act would permit healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat patients remotely with

store and forward technology when provision of services in such manner is consistent with the

standard of care.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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