California’s House and Senate passed Assembly Bill (AB) 356 and AB 457 and they now await action by the governor. AB 356 would authorize the State Department of Public Health to issue a physician and surgeon or a doctor of podiatric medicine a one-time, temporary permit to operate or supervise the operation of fluoroscopic X-ray equipment if the permit holder meets specified criteria, including attesting under penalty of perjury of having at least 40 hours of experience using that equipment.
Existing law mandates that a contract issued, amended or renewed on or after Jan. 1 between a carrier and a healthcare provider requires the carrier to reimburse the provider for the diagnosis, consultation or treatment of an enrollee delivered through telehealth services on the same basis and as similar service through in-person diagnosis, consultation or treatment. AB 457 would delete that date restriction, thereby extending the telehealth reimbursement parity requirement for all contracts between a carrier and a healthcare provider. Additionally, the bill would enact the Protection of Patient Choice in Telehealth Provider Act and require carriers to comply with notice and consent requirements if it offers a service via telehealth to an enrollee through a third-party corporate telehealth provider.
The California chapter supports AB 356 and is monitoring AB 457.
For more information, please contact Tina Getachew or Eugenia Brandt. To stay current on state legislative developments relevant to radiology, view the American College of Radiology® policy map.