New California Legislation Opens Medi-Cal To Expanded Telehealth-Based Services

For Californians, state law on telehealth services just changed to open Medi-Cal to expanded telehealth services by simplifying consumer access and permiting services to be provided to patients in any setting, even the home. The Telehealth Advancement Act of 2011, introduced as Assembly Bill 415, was signed into law on October 7, 2011. It permits all California health care facilities to use new a streamlined telehealth credentialing process approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and eliminated a requirement that patients at least make one in-person office visit and provide additional written consent before services . . .