Telehealth has officially arrived with the adoption of new Telehealth for Workers’ Compensation rules.

Judge Dale Tipps

“Telehealth” means “the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies.”

Telehealth, aka telemedicine, has been around for a while, but its acceptance and use increased dramatically last year with COVID-19. In fact, the Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation issued temporary guidance shortly after the pandemic hit last year.

The new rules are designed to formally provide a telehealth option for injured employees in Tennessee and took effect on Oct. 19, 2021.

Of course, the use of telehealth is just one option, and the injured worker must consent to it, electronically or in writing. The employee may also opt out of telehealth at any time and request that future visits occur in person. If the provider doesn’t wish to offer in-person treatment, the worker may select a new authorized treating physician.

Healthcare services must be “medically appropriate” for telehealth, and some situations are specifically excluded. A few examples are injuries involving significant physical trauma, loss of consciousness, dizziness and respiratory distress, but the list is much longer and isn’t exhaustive.

The medical fee schedule will apply to bills for telehealth services.

As required by the new rules, the bureau has created a new C-42 (choice of physicians) form. It allows the employer/carrier to indicate whether any of the three physicians offered are available for telehealth. It also provides the opportunity to offer an optional telehealth doctor in addition to the three in-person physicians.

Employers and carriers should begin using the new form immediately.

Dale Tipps is a judge in the Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims, Murfreesboro. This entry is republished with permission from the court's blog.