HEALTH INFORMATION ORGANIZATION (Section 191.237)

Prohibits a health information organization from imposing connection fees on another health information organization under certain conditions.

This provision is similar to a provision in HCS/SCS/SB 89 (2013).

HAND-UP PROGRAM (Section 208.053)

This act extends the sunset date for the Hand-Up Program from 3 years after August 28, 2012, to three years after August 28, 2014. This act also provides that in order to qualify for the program the recipient shall have been receiving full child care service benefits for a period of at least four months prior to implementation of the program.

TICKET-TO-WORK PROGRAM (Section 208.146)

This act reauthorizes the Ticket-to-Work program until 2019. Currently the program is set to expire on August 28, 2013.

This provision is identical to a provision in HB 985 (2013); and similar to a provision in HCS/HB 700 (2013).

JOINT COMMITTEE ON MEDICAID TRANSFORMATION (Section 208.993)

Allows the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to jointly establish a committee to be known as the "Joint Committee on Medicaid Transformation"

MISSOURI SENIOR SERVICES PROTECTION FUND (Section 208.1050)

This act creates the Missouri Senior Services Protection Fund. Moneys in the fund are to be used for services for low-income seniors and people with disabilities. The State Treasurer is directed to deposit $55,100,000 into the Missouri Senior Services Protection Fund on July 1, 2013. This provision has an emergency clause.

TELEHEALTH HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE (Section 376.1900 and Section B).

Under this act, health carriers issuing or renewing health benefit plans on or after January 1, 2014, shall not deny coverage for a health care service on the basis that the service was provided through telehealth if the same service would be covered when delivered in person.

Under the act, a health carrier may not exclude an otherwise covered health care service from coverage solely because the service is provided through telehealth rather than face-to-face consultation or contact between a health care provider and a patient.

The act does not require a health carrier to reimburse a telehealth provider or a consulting provider for technological fees or costs for the provision of telhealth services. However, a health carrier must reimburse a telehealth provider for the diagnosis, consultation, or treatment of an insured delivered through telehealth on the same basis that the health carrier covers the service when it is delivered in person.

Under the act, a health care service provided through telehealth services shall not be subject to any greater deductible, copayment, or coinsurance amount than would be applicable if the same health care service was provided through face-to-face diagnosis, consultation, or treatment.

The act allows health carriers to undertake utilization review to determine the appropriateness of telehealth as a means of delivering a health care service. Utilization review determinations, however, must be made in the same manner as those regarding the same service when it is delivered in person.

The act allows a health carrier or health benefit plan to limit coverage for health care services that are provided through telehealth to health care providers that are in a network approved by the plan or the health carrier.

The provisions of the act do not apply to certain types of supplemental insurance policies such as accident-only policies or Medicare supplement policies.

The telehealth mandate portion of the act has an effective date of January 1, 2014

This provision is identical to a provision in CCS/HCS/SS/SB 262 (2013).

ADRIANE CROUSE