Amends TCA Section 63-1-155.

The present law provisions governing telehealth define “telehealth,” “telemedicine,” and “provider-based telemedicine” to mean the use of real time audio, video, or other electronic media and telecommunication technology that enables interaction between a healthcare provider and a patient, or also store-and-forward telemedicine services (as defined by present law as discussed below) for the purpose of diagnosis, consultation, or treatment of a patient at a distant site where there may be no in-person exchange between a healthcare provider and a patient. For purposes of the above, present law defines "store-and-forward telemedicine services" as the use of asynchronous computer-based communications between a patient and healthcare services provider at a distant site for the purpose of diagnostic and therapeutic assistance in the care of patients. Under present law, the term includes the transferring of medical data from one site to another through the use of a camera or similar device that records or stores an image that is sent or forwarded via telecommunication to another site for consultation. This bill redefines "store-and-forward telemedicine services" for purposes of the present law provisions governing telehealth to mean use of asynchronous computer-based communications between a healthcare provider and patient for the purpose of diagnosis, consultation, or treatment of the patient at a distant site where there may be no in-person exchange between the healthcare provider and the patient. ON MARCH 22, 2021, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1589, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 specifies that the use of asynchronous computer-based communications may include the transfer of medical data in an image captured or created by a camera or similar device, for purposes of store-and-forward telemedicine services.