Arkansas Senate Bill 133 – To Encourage The Use Of Telemedicine; And To Declare An Emergency

On April 2, 2015, Arkansas Governor Hutchinson signed this legislation to enact a telemedicine parity law that covers physician services exclusively. The parity provisions of the law go into effect by January 2016 for commercial payers and by July 2016 for Medicaid. The new Arkansas law requires an in-person exam before a live audio-video encounter can take place. The law also includes a provision which goes into effect immediately that creates a separate standard of practice for all Arkansas licensed medical professions . . .