Pa. Senate approves Telemedicine Act, sends it to governor for signature

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Senate voted Wednesday to approve the Telemedicine Act introduced by Sen. Elder Vogel.

By a margin of 49-1, state senators concurred on technical amendments made in the state House. The vote moves Senate Bill 739 to the desk of Gov. Josh Shapiro to be signed into law.

"This legislation has been a work in progress for the past several legislative sessions, and I am glad to see the vast amount of bipartisan support for telemedicine expansion in our state," Vogel said. "This legislation is key to expanding access to telemedicine services to Pennsylvanians and allowing our residents to take care of their health in a way that suits their needs and schedules."

The Telemedicine Act guarantees insurance coverage of any medically necessary service administered remotely through telemedicine that patients would otherwise receive in person. Such coverage includes Medicaid and CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program.

The bill looks to establish rules for provider reimbursement along with terms for when payment reimbursement isn't required such as if the equipment or service isn't in legal compliance, the service is inconsistent with the standard of care and when the service is provided out of network

The Senate first approved the bill in May. The House gave its overwhelming approval on Monday.