It's about to become easier for people in Maryland to see their doctors without leaving home.
Governor Larry Hogan is set to sign two new telehealth bills into law Friday. The bills expand the kinds of services doctors can provide through digital means like video chat and email.
Medicaid will be required to cover mental health services appropriately delivered via telehealth options under one bill, the Maryland State Medical Society says.
Another bill sets up standards for telehealth and requires doctors to document care, among other measures.
Doctors will be allowed to use methods outside of instant communication, such as email, for patients when appropriate.
Both bills passed before the coronavirus outbreak but, because of the pandemic, the bills were reclassified as "emergency legislation." That means they'll take effect as soon as they're signed.
