Telemedicine on phone There are currently 42 states, as well as Washington, D.C. that have some form of telehealth commercial payer law. (Photo: Shutterstock)

States have made significant process in creating access to telehealth services, a new survey finds. The Foley and Lardner report reviews telehealth statutes across all 50 states, with an eye on how state lawmakers are creating legislation that allow both access to, and reimbursement for, this growing area of health care technology.

The report notes that there are currently 42 states and Washington, D.C. that have some form of telehealth commercial payer law. The survey found that some states, such as Florida, Massachusetts, and Michigan, have payment laws but do not actually require plans to cover telehealth services. In eight states—Alabama, Idaho, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming—there are still no telehealth commercial payer laws.

A roadblock to services is crumbling

The report compares the latest survey to one conducted in 2017 and finds that progress has been made across many states. "At the time of the [2017] survey, one of the biggest barriers to adoption was limited or unclear reimbursement for telemedicine and digital health services," the company said in a statement. "While reimbursement remains a major concern in the industry, the progress on a state-by-state basis over the past two years has been impressive." The report points to recent laws passed in Georgia and California as "best-in-class" legislation in this area.

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