Page 165 State Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Policies A Comprehensive Scan of the 50 States and District of Columbia

Center for Connected Health Policy

Tennessee

Medicaid Program: TennCare
Note: TennCare is operated entirely as a managed care program.

Medicaid Program Administrator: Dept. of Human Services

Regional Telehealth Resource Center:
South Central Telehealth Resource Center
4301 W. Markham St. #519
Little Rock, AR 72205
(855) 664-3450
learntelehealth.org

STATE LAW/REGULATIONS MEDICAID PROGRAM
Definition of telemedicine/telehealth

Telehealth means the use of real-time interactive audio, “Telehealth is the use of electronic information and
video or other telecommunications or electronic telecommunication technologies to support clinical care
technology by a licensed healthcare provider to deliver a between an individual with mental illness and/or
healthcare service to a patient within the scope of substance abuse issues and a healthcare practitioner.”
practice of the licensed healthcare provider at a site
other than the site at which the patient is located; “Telehealth systems provide a live, interactive audio-
provided, however, telehealth does not include: video communication or videoconferencing connection
• An audio-only conversation between a licensed between the individual in need of services and the crisis
healthcare provider and a patient; service delivery system.”
• An electronic mail message between a licensed
healthcare provider and a patient; or Source: TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Svcs., p.
• A facsimile transmission between a licensed 4, (July 2012).
healthcare provider and a patient.

Source: TN Code Annotated, Title 56, Ch. 7, Part 10.
Live Video Reimbursement

Managed care organizations participating in the medical TennCare will reimburse for live video for crisis-related
assistance program are required to provide coverage for services.
telehealth under the same reimbursement policies that
the plan permits for in-person encounters. Source: TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Svcs., p.
4, (July 2012).
Source: TN Code Annotated, Title 56, Ch. 7, Part 10.
(also see Private Payer section)
Store and Forward Reimbursement

The law defines telehealth as occurring in real-time, TennCare will not reimburse for store and forward based
excluding store and forward from the definition. upon definition of “telehealth systems” which describes it
as “live interactive video”,.
Source: TN Code Annotated, Title 56, Ch. 7, Part 10.
Source: TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Svcs., p.
4, (July 2012).
Remote Patient Monitoring Reimbursement
No reference found. No reference found.

Email/Phone/FAX

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