Definitions

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As used in this subchapter:

  1. (1) “Distant site” means the location of the healthcare professional delivering healthcare services through telemedicine at the time the services are provided;

  2. (2)

    1. (A) “Health benefit plan” means:

      1. (i) An individual, blanket, or group plan, policy, or contract for healthcare services issued or delivered by an insurer, health maintenance organization, hospital medical service corporation, or self-insured governmental or church plan in this state; and

      2. (ii) Any health benefit program receiving state or federal appropriations from the State of Arkansas, including the Arkansas Medicaid Program, the Health Care Independence Program [expired], commonly referred to as the “Private Option”, and the Arkansas Works Program, or any successor program.

    2. (B) “Health benefit plan” includes:

      1. (i) Indemnity and managed care plans; and

      2. (ii) Nonfederal governmental plans as defined in 29 U.S.C. § 1002(32), as it existed on January 1, 2015.

    3. (C) “Health benefit plan” does not include:

      1. (i) Disability income plans;

      2. (ii) Credit insurance plans;

      3. (iii) Insurance coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance;

      4. (iv) Medical payments under automobile or homeowners insurance plans;

      5. (v) Health benefit plans provided under Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 32, the Workers' Compensation Law, § 11-9-101 et seq., or the Public Employee Workers' Compensation Act, § 21-5-601 et seq.;

      6. (vi) Plans that provide only indemnity for hospital confinement;

      7. (vii) Accident-only plans;

      8. (viii) Specified disease plans; or

      9. (ix) Long-term-care-only plans;

  3. (3) “Healthcare professional” means a person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by the laws of this state to administer health care in the ordinary course of the practice of his or her profession;

  4. (4) “Originating site” means a site at which a patient is located at the time healthcare services are provided to him or her by means of telemedicine;

  5. (5) “Remote patient monitoring” means the use of synchronous or asynchronous electronic information and communication technology to collect personal health information and medical data from a patient at an originating site that is transmitted to a healthcare professional at a distant site for use in the treatment and management of medical conditions that require frequent monitoring;

  6. (6) “Store-and-forward technology” means the asynchronous transmission of a patient's medical information from a healthcare professional at an originating site to a healthcare professional at the distant site; and

  7. (7)

    1. (A) “Telemedicine” means the use of electronic information and communication technology to deliver healthcare services, including without limitation the assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management, and self-management of a patient.

    2. (B) “Telemedicine” includes store-and-forward technology and remote patient monitoring.

    3. (C) For the purposes of this subchapter, “telemedicine” does not include the use of:

      1. (i) Audio-only communication, including without limitation interactive audio;

      2. (ii) A facsimile machine;

      3. (iii) Text messaging; or

      4. (iv) Electronic mail systems.


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