Compliance

Important

GoTelecare does not provide emergency telehealth consultation services and advise anyone with a healthcare emergency situation to call 911 and/or go to a hospital emergency room.

We have streamlined our GoTelecare services so patients can easily get the diagnosis and treatment they need when and where they need it.

Our network of licensed medical professionals communicate directly with each patient to understand and treat their particular needs.

Definitions
  • Originating Site: The location of the patient at the time of a telehealth consultation.
  • Distant or Remote Site: The location of the provider specialist at the time of a telehealth consultation.
  • Provider: A physician (MD or DO) or allied healthcare professional that is licensed in one or more states to provide approved medical services to patients.
  • Telehealth Consultation: GoTelecare facilitates real-time, two-way interactive video/audio consultations between patients and providers.
  • mHealth: The practice of medical health supported by mobile devices, including patient sensors and transmitter devices, as well as mobile phones, PDAs, and cellular data transfer devices.
General
  • GoTelecare operates subject to state regulation and services may not be available in certain states.
  • Patients must have a U.S. address and a U.S.-based phone number for the telehealth provider to be able to contact you at the time of consultation.
  • GoTelecare’s mobile app for smart phones and tablets relies on public access GPS location technology maintained by the U.S. government to determine patient’s location during consultations to ensure alignment with the provider’s state licensure.
  • GoTelecare allows provider-to-provider consultations for the benefit of patient care.
  • GoTelecare’s Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system is Complete EHR is 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by an ONC-ATCB in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The EMR is connected with more than 55,000 pharmacies and more than 100 national and regional medical labs.
Provider Licensure & Credentialing
  • Providers are required to be licensed in the states where they will regularly consult with patients located in the same state
  • GoTelecare requires telehealth providers to be board certified/board eligible
  • Providers are not required to be physically present with the patient at the time of a telehealth consultation.
  • “Infrequent” or “Occasional” Consultations are permitted in at least 28 states so that patients may receive consultations from providers who may not be licensed in the patient’s state.
  • The state of Texas allows an out-of-state provider to obtain a special telemedicine license in order to practice across state lines.
  • In a few limited instances, there is an exception for the rendering of services in one state by a physician lawfully practicing medicine in a state bordering or adjoining that state if the physician has any established or regularly used hospital connections in the state or maintains or is provided with, for his or her regular use, an office or other place for rendering the services.
  • GoTelecare’s mobile app for smart phones and tablets relies on public access GPS location technology maintained by the U.S. government to determine patient’s location during consultations to ensure alignment with the provider’s state licensure.
HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)
  • GoTelecare has contracted with industry leaders in healthcare technology for the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and secure video conferencing to deliver confidential telehealth consultation experiences for patients. ATN utilizes ISO-certified and HIPAA-compliant business processes and policies to ensure such compliance.
  • GoTelecare has Service Agreements as well as Business Associate Agreements (to address HIPAA compliance) with all of its healthcare facility clients and providers. Service Agreements include requirements for licensure and liability insurance. All healthcare facility clients are provided with credentials of providers they accept for telehealth consultations with their patients and residents.
  • GoTelecare’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy are available on our web site and are presented to patients for acceptance when they register with us on the site.
  • GoTelecare applies administrative process, physical and technical safeguards to patient healthcare information. Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) Security Rule does not include video teleconferencing.
  • For states that have health information privacy laws that are stricter than HIPAA, GoTelecare observes the state’s prevailing law.
  • GoTelecare does not supply equipment to providers or healthcare facilities for purposes of facilitating telehealth consultations so no equipment-based HIPAA compliance applies to GoTelecare in this regard.
3rd Party Payor Reimbursement
  • GoTelecare provides claims processing and billing services for contracted providers who require these services. The payors may be Medicare, Medicaid & any applicable private healthcare plan payors with which the provider is enrolled or accepted.
Prescribing of Medications
  • GoTelecare does not guarantee that a prescription will be provided.
  • Prescriptions may be written only when clinically appropriate and may be restricted by law.
    • Certain states may require a physical examination and/or an established physician-patient relationship before a prescription is written.
    • Certain states, such as CA, TX, VA, MD, allow for physical examinations to take place electronically.
  • Live, interactive patient consultations through GoTelecare addresses the prohibiting by at least 30 states of prescriptions being written solely based on a medical questionnaire and/or patient supplied medical history.
  • GoTelecare’s service facilitates a provider establishing follow-up consultations with patients after each consultation to ensure continuity of care.
  • Consulting physicians contracted with GoTelecare are specifically instructed not to prescribe DEA 1 & 2 controlled substances or certain other drugs which may be harmful because of their potential for abuse.
Anti-Kickback & Stark Laws
  • GoTelecare does not furnish any telehealth services nor any other health care services, including any Designated Health Services (as that term is defined under the federal self-referral statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1395nn and related regulations (the “Stark Law”) but provides certain services to health care providers such as Provider so that such health care providers may furnish Telehealth Services to their patients.
  • GoTelecare does not refer patients to providers and conducts itself in full compliance with the federal anti-kickback law, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b, and applicable regulations and applicable state referral and anti-kickback laws and regulations.
State Legislative Information re: The GoTelecare mobile app for use by patients
(Source: ATA – American Telemedicine Association)

  • California : CA legislation information, Medicaid/MediCal & private payor coverage mandate
  • Texas : TX legislation information, Medicaid & private payor coverage mandate
  • Virginia : VA legislation information, Medicaid & private payor coverage mandate