Colorado is the latest in a growing tide of states passing parity laws requiring the same reimbursement for telehealth visits as for in-person visits.
A total of 24 states and the District of Columbia have laws governing private payers' reimbursement of telehealth services. Not all mandate parity or even reimbursement, but it sets a precedent for regulatory involvement in the billing practices for telehealth, according to Lexology. In the 2015 legislative session, 32 states have introduced legislation related to various aspects of telehealth.
Colorado's law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2017. Providers will no longer be required to document that a barrier to in-person care exists, carriers cannot deny coverage for a covered benefit for service provided through telehealth, and they must reimburse a provider for telehealth services on the same basis that the carrier is responsible for reimbursing that provider for the same service provided in-person.