2019 US Virgin Islands Code
Title 27 - Professions and Occupations
Chapter 1 - Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Nurse-Midwifery
Subchapter IIa - Telemedicine
§ 45d. Regulation of telemedicine licensure
- The Board of Medical Examiners may establish regulations for telemedicine licensure as follows:
(a) The Board of Medical Examiners shall issue a telemedicine license to authorize certain physicians, who hold a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in another state or territory of the United States, to provide telemedicine services in the Virgin Islands. Telemedicine licenses shall be without private practice rights and without subversion of reciprocity. Any healthcare professional licensed in the Virgin Islands may practice telemedicine without restriction.
(b) [Deleted].
(c) The Board of Medical Examiners shall establish by rules and regulations the requirements for telemedicine licensure in accordance with this subchapter, provided that the rules and regulations include the following:
(1) A physician holding only a telemedicine license under this subchapter shall not open an office in the Virgin Islands, shall not meet with patients in the Virgin Islands, and shall not receive calls from patients in the Virgin Islands.
(2) The physician, when examining a patient by telemedicine, shall establish a bona fide physician-patient relationship by:
(A) Establishing a relationship and coordinating with the patient’s Virgin Islands-licensed healthcare professional.
(B) Establishing a diagnosis through the use of accepted medical practices including, but not limited to, patient history, mental status and appropriate diagnostic and laboratory testing.
(C) Discussing with the patient any diagnosis as well as the risks and benefits of various treatment options.
(D) Ensuring the availability for appropriate follow-up care.
(E) Fulfilling any other requirements as deemed appropriate and necessary by the Board of Medical Examiners.
(d) Any physician licensed to practice telemedicine in accordance with this subchapter, shall be subject to the provisions of this subchapter, the jurisdiction of the Board of Medical Examiners, applicable Virgin Islands law, and the jurisdiction of the courts of the Virgin Islands with respect to providing medical services to Virgin Islands residents.
(e) The Department of Health and the Territory's hospitals and medical centers and Virgin Islands-licensed health care professionals are authorized to bill third-party payers for consultations and follow-up care provided by licensed providers of telemedicine services.
