The North Carolina Medical Society supports efforts and funding for programs and innovations that resolve existing barriers to telehealth access for health care providers and persons of North Carolina;

The North Carolina Medical Society supports equitable telehealth coverage for all appropriate medical services, patient types, provider types, locations, secure devices and modalities, by all government and commercial payers;

The North Carolina Medical Society supports parity in payment for telehealth services provided and accurately documented by any licensed and qualified health care provider when medically appropriate;

The North Carolina Medical Society supports the promotion of transparency to patients and providers regarding their choice when accessing telehealth services, and for preserving continuity of care with the patient’s established providers, including their medical home;

The North Carolina Medical Society supports continuing efforts to safeguard patient privacy and program integrity through effective and considerate regulations and requirements that allow for the support and innovations of technology-based care; and

The North Carolina Medical Society supports ongoing efforts to establish and define quality metrics for telehealth visits that align with the service standard of care as well as preserves and promotes patient safety and access.

The North Carolina Medical Society, for the purposes of this policy, supports the definition of telehealth as presented by the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP), which defines telehealth as a collection of means or methods for enhancing health care, public health, and health education delivery and support using telecommunication technologies.