Questions and Clarifications about Telehealth Definitions for Indiana State (PDF file)
Telepractice in Indiana during the pandemic response to questions document for ISHA members (5/27/2020)
Telehealth guidance document for ISHA members (4/6/2020)
Update from Central Office (03/19/20):
Indiana Medicaid allows telemedicine and telephone options for most health care and mental health interactions
Policy intended to streamline access to health services, protect frontline health care workers and help ensure appropriate utilization of emergency services
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration announced today that, to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Indiana Medicaid will allow interactions between patients and doctors and other health care providers, as well as other Medicaid service deliveries, to occur either over the phone or through the use of telemedicine technologies whenever possible. Effective immediately, most health services – including covered mental health services and Medicaid home- and community-based services – will be reimbursed as if they took place in person. This policy will remain in place – and telemedicine/telephone interactions will be encouraged – for as long as Indiana remains under a declaration of a public health emergency by Governor Eric Holcomb.
“As we continue our work to protect the health of Hoosiers, in-person human interactions must be held to an absolute minimum and, in this extraordinary time, that must include contact between doctors, other health care professionals and patients,” said Jennifer Sullivan, M.D., M.P.H., FSSA Secretary. “We also hope this will help Hoosiers get the care they need faster and more efficiently, while helping reserve our emergency rooms and hospital beds for sick patients who truly need a higher level of care during this public health emergency.”
Telephone and telemedicine visits will be covered for both in- and out-of-state providers and for all covered services, with some exceptions for certain services that require physical interaction. These exceptions include surgical procedures, radiology, laboratory services, anesthesia services, audiological services and chiropractor services. A complete list of exceptions and additional guidance for Indiana Health Coverage Programs-enrolled providers will be published shortly on this page.
Reimbursement will be allowed for covered services for both Traditional (fee-for-service) Medicaid as well as all managed care programs. All services rendered must be within the provider’s applicable licensure and scope of practice. Neither text nor email messages will be reimbursable.
Indiana Medicaid recommends patients call their health care providers to inquire about telephone/telehealth visit options, especially if the patient has an appointment scheduled.
News Media Contacts:
Name: Jim Gavin
Phone: 317-234-0197
Email: Jim.Gavin@fssa.IN.gov
Name: Marni Lemons
Phone: 317-234-5287
Email: Marni.Lemons@fssa.IN.gov
The government has issued a change in HIPAA regulation (specifically enforcement discretion) related to the provision of telehealth during this national health emergency:
Update from Central Office (03/18/20): Indiana SLPs and AUDs,
In response to recent closures and questions regarding supervision of graduate students, we have gathered the following information regarding telepractice:
Indiana has no statutes or rules pertaining to telemedicine (the Indiana term for telepractice, etc.) for SLPs and AUDs. In the absence of statutes or rules, it is assumed that telemedicine is permitted.
The Indiana Code has a definition of “direct supervision” that requires “onsite observation and guidance”. However, the words “direct supervision” are not used elsewhere in the statutes governing SLPs and AUDs, so the definition is effectively moot.
The only reference to individuals engaged in training in your statutes, which would include students, is in the section that exempts individuals in training from needing a license. See IC 25-35.6-1-4(5) below. That provision only requires individuals in training to work under the “supervision” of a licensed SLP or AUD. Thus, given no restrictions on telemedicine and no definition of supervision that requires onsite presence, we believe that “tele-supervision” is permitted under Indiana law.
Telepractice resources including state-by-state tracking of laws and regulations for telepractice and temporary practice: https://www.asha.org/About/Telepractice-Resources-During-COVID-19/
