Georgia Code
Article 1 - General Provisions
§ 33-24-56.4. Short Title; Definitions; Payment for Telehealth Services

(3.1) “Interprofessional consultation” means an assessment and management service in which a patient’s health care provider seeks treatment advice from a consulting provider with specific specialty expertise to assist the patient’s health care provider in diagnosing or treating the patient.
History. Code 1981, § 33-24-56.4 , enacted by Ga. L. 2005, p. 481, § 3/HB 291; Ga. L. 2009, p. 859, § 11/HB 509; Ga. L. 2011, p. 752, § 33/HB 142; Ga. L. 2019, p. 386, § 56/SB 133; Ga. L. 2019, p. 512, § 1/SB 118; Ga. L. 2021, p. 378, § 1/HB 307.
The 2019 amendments.
The first 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2019, in paragraph (b)(1), substituted “the state” for “the State of Georgia”; and, in paragraph (b)(2), deleted “hospital service corporation, medical service corporation,” following “fraternal benefits society,”. The second 2019 amendment, effective January 1, 2020, substituted “telemedicine” for “telehealth” in the middle of subsections (c) and (i); substituted “Telehealth” for “Telemedicine” in subsection (a); rewrote subsection (b), which read: “(b) As used in this Code section, the term:
“(1) ‘Health benefit policy’ means any individual or group plan, policy, or contract for health care services issued, delivered, issued for delivery, executed, or renewed in this state, including, but not limited to, those contracts executed by the State of Georgia on behalf of state employees under Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45, by an insurer.
“(2) ‘Insurer’ means an accident and sickness insurer, fraternal benefit society, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, health care corporation, health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization, provider sponsored health care corporation, managed care entity, or any similar entity authorized to issue contracts under this title or to provide health benefit policies.
“(3) ‘Telemedicine’ means the practice, by a duly licensed physician or other health care provider acting within the scope of such provider’s practice, of health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, or transfer of medical data by means of audio, video, or data communications which are used during a medical visit with a patient or which are used to transfer medical data obtained during a medical visit with a patient. Standard telephone, facsimile transmissions, unsecured e-mail, or a combination thereof do not constitute telemedicine services.”; added subsections (d) through (h); redesignated former subsection (d) as subsection (i); and, in subsection (i), substituted “January 1, 2020” for “July 1, 2005”, inserted “this Code section,”, and deleted the last sentence, which read: “The coverage required in this Code section may be subject to all terms and conditions of the applicable health benefit plan.” See the Code Commission notes regarding the effect of these amendments.
The 2021 amendment, effective May 4, 2021, added “, which may include the home of the health care provider” at the end of paragraph (b)(1); added paragraph (b)(3.1); in paragraph (b)(4), deleted “in this state” following “means a site” at the beginning and substituted “which may include a patient’s home, workplace, or school” for “unless the term is otherwise defined with respect to the provision in which it is used” in the middle; in paragraph (b)(7), substituted “real-time” for “real time” near the beginning of the first sentence, inserted “as prescribed by applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations” near the end of the first sentence, and added the last sentence; added subsections (f) and (h) and redesignated former subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i) as present subsections (g), (i), (j), and (k), respectively; in subsection (g), inserted “(1)” and “or (2) and insurer to pay for a telemedicine service provided through an audio-only call for any service other than mental or behavioral health services” at the end of the first sentence, and added the proviso at the end of the second sentence; in subsection (i), inserted “deductible or” and substituted “than a deductible or annual” for “than an annual” near the beginning; and added subsections (l) through (p).
Code Commission notes.
Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 2019, the amendment of subsection (b) of this Code section by Ga. L. 2019, p. 386, § 56/SB 133, was treated as impliedly repealed and superseded by Ga. L. 2019, p. 512, § 1/SB 118, due to irreconcilable conflict.

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