State Telemedicine Policy Information
Healthcare Legislation Is Complex, We Can Help.
Florida Telemedicine Policy
Florida Telemedicine Policy
Although new telemedicine legislation has been brought to the Florida Senate, the bill wasn’t passed because lawmakers could not agree on whether out-of-state physicians should be allowed to treat Florida patients via telemedicine. Even without a telehealth parity law in place, many healthcare providers are already actively using telehealth in their practices. Florida’s Medicaid also reimburses doctors for live video telemedicine appointments.
State Policy Overview
Medicaid
Yes
Private Payer
No
Parity
No
Additional State Telemedicine Info
Parity Laws
There are no parity laws in Florida right now. All this means is that the state does not yet legally require private payers or Medicaid to cover telemedicine services the same way as in-person services. However, Florida’s Medicaid coverage and many private payers still do reimburse for some telemedicine services.
Medicaid
The state of Florida considers telemedicine “the use of telecommunication and/or information technology to provide clinical care to individuals at a distance, and transmit the information needed to provide care.”
Type Of Telemedicine Covered
Currently, Florida Medicaid reimburses for live video telemedicine (think secure videochat).
Covered Health Services
Florida’s Medicaid program allows providers to deliver certain behavioral health services via telemedicine. For more details see the Community Behavioral Health Services Fee Schedule.
Eligible Healthcare Providers
Only physicians can receive reimbursement for telemedicine services.
Online Prescriptions
Florida policy says providers cannot prescribe controlled substances through telemedicine, except when treating psychiatric disorders or caring for hospitalized patients. Before writing the prescription, the doctor must complete a patient evaluation and take their medical history to establish a diagnosis.
Informed Patient Consent
Florida currently has no stated regulations on getting patient consent prior to the telemedicine visit.
Physician-Patient Relationship
A physician-patient relationship can be established through telemedicine.
Cross-State Telemedicine Licensing
There is no interstate licensing available for Florida yet.
Restrictions On Locations
According to the Center for Connected Health Policy, Florida currently has no restrictions on the patient location at the time of the visit.
Billing Codes
To bill for telemedicine, Florida providers should use consultation codes 99241 through 99255, along with the GT modifier to indicate telemedicine. When billing for behavioral health services, reference the Community Behavioral Health Services Fee Schedule.