AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- TELEMEDICINE COVERAGE ACT (Permits 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.)

H7278

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:
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SECTION 1. Section 27-81-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-81 entitled "Telemedicine
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Coverage Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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27-81-3. Definitions.
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As used in this chapter:
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(1) “Clinically appropriate” means care that is delivered in the appropriate medical setting.
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(2) “Distant site” means a site at which a healthcare provider is located while providing
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healthcare services by means of telemedicine.
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(3) “Healthcare facility” means an institution providing healthcare services or a healthcare
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setting, including, but not limited to: hospitals and other licensed inpatient centers; ambulatory
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surgical or treatment centers; skilled nursing centers; residential treatment centers; diagnostic,
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laboratory and imaging centers; and rehabilitation and other therapeutic health settings.
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(4) “Healthcare professional” means a physician or other healthcare practitioner licensed,
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accredited, or certified to perform specified healthcare services consistent with state law.
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(5) “Healthcare provider” means a healthcare professional or a healthcare facility.
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(6) “Healthcare services” means any services included in the furnishing to any individual
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of medical, podiatric, or dental care, or hospitalization, or incident to the furnishing of that care or
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hospitalization, and the furnishing to any person of any and all other services for the purpose of
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preventing, alleviating, curing, or healing human illness, injury, or physical disability.
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(7) “Health insurer” means any person, firm, or corporation offering and/or insuring

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healthcare services on a prepaid basis, including, but not limited to, a nonprofit service corporation,
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a health maintenance organization, the Rhode Island Medicaid program, including its contracted
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managed care entities, or an entity offering a policy of accident and sickness insurance.
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(8) “Health maintenance organization” means a health maintenance organization as defined
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in chapter 41 of this title.
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(9) “Medically necessary” means medical, surgical, or other services required for the
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prevention, diagnosis, cure, or treatment of a health-related condition, including services necessary
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to prevent a decremental change in either medical or mental health status.
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(10) “Nonprofit service corporation” means a nonprofit hospital service corporation as
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defined in chapter 19 of this title, or a nonprofit medical service corporation as defined in chapter
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20 of this title.
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(11) “Originating site” means a site at which a patient is located at the time healthcare
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services are provided to them by means of telemedicine, which can include a patient’s home where
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medically necessary and clinically appropriate.
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(12) “Policy of accident and sickness insurance” means a policy of accident and sickness
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insurance as defined in chapter 18 of this title.
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(13) “Rhode Island Medicaid program” means a state-administered, medical assistance
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program that is funded by the state and federal governments under Title XIX and Title XXI of the
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U.S. Social Security Act and any general or public laws and administered by the executive office
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of health and human services.
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(14) “Store-and-forward technology” means the technology used to enable the transmission
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of a patient’s medical information from an originating site to the healthcare provider at the distant
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site without the patient being present.
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(15) “Telemedicine” means the delivery of clinical healthcare services
consistent with the
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standard of care
by use of
store-and-forward technology;
real time, two-way synchronous audio,
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video, telephone-audio-only communications
;
or electronic media or other telecommunications
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technology including, but not limited to: online adaptive interviews, remote patient monitoring
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devices, audiovisual communications, including the application of secure video conferencing or
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store-and-forward technology to provide or support healthcare delivery, which facilitate
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assessment, diagnosis, counseling and prescribing treatment, and care management of a patient’s
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health care while such patient is at an originating site and the healthcare provider is at a distant site,
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consistent with applicable federal laws and regulations. “Telemedicine” does not include an email
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message or facsimile transmission between the provider and patient, or an automated computer
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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
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This act would permit healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat patients remotely with
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store and forward technology when provision of services in such manner is consistent with the
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standard of care.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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