2019 Massachusetts General Laws
Part I - Administration of the Government
Title XXII - Corporations
Chapter 175 - Insurance
Section 47bb - Coverage for Telemedicine Services
[Text of section added by 2012, 224, Sec. 158. See also, Section 47BB added by 2012, 234, Sec. 3, below.]
Section 47BB. (a) For the purposes of this section, ''telemedicine'' as it pertains to the delivery of health care services, shall mean the use of interactive audio, video or other electronic media for the purpose of diagnosis, consultation or treatment. ''Telemedicine'' shall not include the use of audio-only telephone, facsimile machine or e-mail.
(b) An insurer may limit coverage of telemedicine services to those health care providers in a telemedicine network approved by the insurer.
(c) A contract that provides coverage for services under this section may contain a provision for a deductible, copayment or coinsurance requirement for a health care service provided through telemedicine as long as the deductible, copayment or coinsurance does not exceed the deductible, copayment or coinsurance applicable to an in-person consultation,
(d) Coverage for health care services under this section shall be consistent with coverage for health care services provided through in-person consultation.
[Text of section added by 2012, 234, Sec. 3. See also, Section 47BB added by 2012, 224, Sec. 158, above.]
Section 47BB. An individual policy of accident and sickness insurance issued under section 108 that provides hospital expense and surgical expense insurance and any group blanket or general policy of accident and sickness insurance issued under section 110 that provides hospital expense and surgical expense insurance, which is issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth, that covers a child under the age of 18 shall cover the cost of treating cleft lip and cleft palate for the child. The coverage shall include benefits for medical, dental, oral and facial surgery, surgical management and follow-up care by oral and plastic surgeons, orthodontic treatment and management, preventative and restorative dentistry to ensure good health and adequate dental structures for orthodontic treatment or prosthetic management therapy, speech therapy, audiology and nutrition services, if such services are prescribed by the treating physician or surgeon and such physician or surgeon certifies that such services are medically necessary and consequent to the treatment of the cleft lip, cleft palate or both. The coverage required by this section shall be subject to the terms and conditions applicable to other benefits. Payment for dental or orthodontic treatment not related to the management of the congenital conditions of cleft lip and cleft palate shall not be covered under this section.
