OHCA Spring/Summer 2019

www.ohca.com SPRING/SUMMER 2019 The Oregon Caregiver 19 LEGAL & REGULATORY mechanisms for medically appropriate covered services. In general, we have looser standards for reimbursement than at the federal level. For example, Oregon does not require the originating site to be located in any particular geographic area. However, Oregon’s rules have not yet kept up with the recent changes in federal law allowing remote evaluation of pre-recorded patient information or remote patient monitoring. All telemedi- cine billing must comply with billing requirements for the underlying service and may only be billed if a separately identifiable visit is performed. As the long term care community works to provide the best care possible and take advantage of the opportunities presented by our rapidly evolving electronic communication environment, telehealth may be the coming reality. As it stands now, telehealth is a heavily regulated field, but the regulators seem to increas- ingly understand the advantages of telehealth even in long term care. Gwen Dayton, J.D., is the Executive VP & General Counsel at OHCA.