Emergency volunteer health practitioners providing services for host entities operating in Washington under the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act, chapter 70.15 RCW, are authorized to offer telehealth or virtual care services to patients in Washington to the same extent that practitioners licensed in Washington are authorized to offer such services. Practitioners must be affiliated with a host entity operating in Washington to provide telehealth services. Practitioners should contact the board, commission, or Department of Health program that governs their profession in Washington with any questions. Contact information for each profession may be found on the Department of Health website.
Some professions have guidelines for telehealth services, including the Medical Commission, Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission, and Examining Board of Psychology. Emergency volunteer health practitioners within these professions are authorized to provide telehealth services under these guidelines and do not need a Washington license to do so.
Other federal and state agencies regulate the use of telehealth services and technology for Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurance and payment-related purposes. The Department of Health does not generally enforce or provide guidance on these requirements but provides the following information that may be relevant to practitioners:
- The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner has issued orders and guidance pertaining to telehealth.
- The Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a notification of enforcement discretion related to telehealth technology and HIPAA.
- HHS has issued an 1135 Waiver suspending certain telehealth-related requirements, including the mandate to use HIPAA compliant technology (e.g. store and forward technology), and allowing audio and visual technology (e.g. smart phones) to be used in providing telehealth services. More information can be found in the notification released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. If an additional 1135 waiver is needed, providers and entities are urged to coordinate requests through MaryAnne Lindeblad, Medicaid Director, via email at MaryAnne.Lindeblad@hca.wa.gov. More information is available on the Health Care Authority COVID-19 page.