Massachusetts S 763: An Act to ensure equitable access to health coverage for children with disabilities

Bill Text

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 945 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 763

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Adam Gómez
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to telehealth and digital equity for patients.
_______________
PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS:
Adam Gómez Hampden
Lindsay N. Sabadosa 1st Hampshire 1/17/2025
Manny Cruz 7th Essex 2/11/2025
Sal N. DiDomenico Middlesex and Suffolk 2/20/2025
Joanne M. Comerford Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester 2/27/2025
Mike Connolly 26th Middlesex 3/5/2025
Adam J. Scanlon 14th Bristol 3/24/2025
Michael D. Brady Second Plymouth and Norfolk 4/1/2025
Patricia D. Jehlen Second Middlesex 5/14/2025
Pavel M. Payano First Essex 7/1/2025
Michael J. Barrett Third Middlesex 7/29/2025

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 945 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 763
By Mr. Gomez, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 763) of Adam Gomez, Lindsay N.
Sabadosa, Manny Cruz, Sal N. DiDomenico and other members of the General Court for
legislation relative to telehealth and digital equity for patients. Financial Services.

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 655 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________

An Act relative to telehealth and digital equity for patients.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1. Section 18AA of Chapter 6A of the General Laws, as most recently inserted
2 by Section 1 of Chapter 174 of the Acts of 2022, is hereby amended by inserting after the word
3 “benefits” the last time it appears the following:
4 The executive office of health and human services and the executive office of housing
5 and economic development shall determine a method for the common application portal to also
6 allow individuals to simultaneously apply to affordable broadband programs offered by
7 telecommunications providers.

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8 SECTION 2. Section 30 of Chapter 32A of the General Laws, as most recently inserted
9 by section 3 of Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2020, is hereby amended by inserting after the
10 definition of “behavioral health services, the following:
11 “E-consults”, asynchronous, consultative, provider-to-provider communications within a
12 shared electronic health record (EHR) or web-based platform that are intended to improve access
13 to specialty expertise for patients and providers without the need for a face-to-face visit, focused
14 on a specific question. E-consults are inclusive of the consult generated from one provider or
15 other qualified health professional to another, and of communications before/after consultation
16 back to the member and/or the member’s caregiver.
17 “E-Visits”, patient-initiated, non face-to-face digital communications conducted via a
18 HIPAA-compliant secure platform or patient portal including online digital evaluation and
19 management services. Such communications involve clinical decision-making comparable to
20 what would occur in an in-office visits.
21 “Remote patient monitoring services”, personal health and medical data collection,
22 transmission, retrieval, or messaging from a member in one location, which is then transmitted to
23 a provider in a different location and is used primarily for the management, treatment, care and
24 related support of ongoing health conditions via regular information inputs from members and
25 member guidance outputs from healthcare providers, including the remote monitoring of a
26 patient’s vital signs, biometric data, or other objective or subjective data by a device that
27 transmits such data electronically to a healthcare practitioner.
28 “Remote therapeutic monitoring services”, the collection, storage and transfer of non-
29 physiologic data to a healthcare provider related to a therapeutic treatment including, but not

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30 limited to, data on a patient’s musculoskeletal or respiratory system, treatment adherence, and
31 treatment response utilizing a connected electronic medical device.
32 SECTION 3. Subsection (b) of Section 30 of Chapter 32A of the General Laws, as most
33 recently inserted by section 3 of Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2020, is hereby amended by inserting
34 at the end thereof after the word “providers.” the following:
35 Coverage for telehealth services shall include coverage and reimbursement for e-consults,
36 e-visits, remote patient monitoring services and devices, and remote therapeutic monitoring
37 services and devices.
38 SECTION 4. Section 30 of Chapter 32A of the General Laws, as most recently inserted
39 by section 3 of Chapter 260