Page 204 State Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Policies A Comprehensive Scan of the 50 States and District of Columbia

Center for Connected Health Policy

Referring Site (see also Spoke Site or Originating Site) is the location of the patient receiving
a telehealth service.

Remote Patient Monitoring Remote patient monitoring uses telehealth technologies to
collect medical data, such as vital signs and blood pressure, from patients in one location and
electronically transmit that information to health care providers in a different location. The
health professionals monitor these patients remotely and, when necessary, implement
medical services on their behalf.

Rural Health Clinic is a clinic in a rural, medically underserved area that has a separate
reimbursement structure from the standard medical office under the Medicare and Medicaid
programs.

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) is a facility that houses chronically ill, usually elderly patients,
and provides long-term nursing care, rehabilitation, and other services.

Spoke Site (see also Originating Site or Referring Site) is the location of the patient receiving
a telehealth service.

Store and Forward (see also Asynchronous) technologies allow for the electronic
transmission of medical information, such as digital images, documents, and pre-recorded
videos. Asynchronous transmissions typically do not occur in real time, and take place
primarily among medical professionals, to aid in diagnoses and medical consults, when live
video or face-to-face patient contact is not necessary.

Synchronous (see also Live Video Conferencing) refers to the use of two-way interactive
audio-video technology to connect users, in real time, for any type of medical service.

Tele-pharmacy involves a pharmacist in one location directing the dispensing of a
prescription to another employee in a separate location.

Tele-presenter is a health professional who sits in the exam room with patients during
telemedicine visits and assists the distant-site provider.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a set of national
standards, which includes security and privacy of health data for electronic health care
transactions, and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans and employers.

The program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) provides comprehensive long-
term services and support to Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries.

Transmission Fee is a fee paid to telemedicine providers for the cost of telecommunications
transmission.

3