April 4, 2022 Group Watch: Telehealth Bill Passes Senate
A bill officially authorizing telehealth and telemedicine in Alabama passed the state Senate last week, marking the first piece of legislation regulating digital access to healthcare for Alabamians. The bill, sponsored by Senator Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, would limit the number of virtual visits citizens could use to four times every 12 months for the same illness. The number of telehealth visits between patients and doctors would reset if an individual seeks care for another illness. Prescriptions of controlled substances are prohibited under the bill, and all patient-physician relationships established via telehealth must be initiated by the patient to prevent fraud and exploitation. The bill, a substitute of a previously filed version, passed unanimously and now moves to the House Health Committee for consideration.
