state of michigan

102nd Legislature

Regular session of 2024

Introduced by Reps. Price, Brabec, Miller, Dievendorf, Weiss, Wegela, Tsernoglou, Steckloff, Rheingans, Edwards, Hood, Conlin, Glanville, Paiz, Wilson, Hope, Brixie, Morse, Hoskins, MacDonell, Martus, Arbit, Puri, Byrnes, Morgan, Hill, Young and Aiyash

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4579

AN ACT to amend 1956 PA 218, entitled “An act to revise, consolidate, and classify the laws relating to the insurance and surety business; to regulate the incorporation or formation of domestic insurance and surety companies and associations and the admission of foreign and alien companies and associations; to provide their rights, powers, and immunities and to prescribe the conditions on which companies and associations organized, existing, or authorized under this act may exercise their powers; to provide the rights, powers, and immunities and to prescribe the conditions on which other persons, firms, corporations, associations, risk retention groups, and purchasing groups engaged in an insurance or surety business may exercise their powers; to provide for the imposition of a privilege fee on domestic insurance companies and associations and the state accident fund; to provide for the imposition of a tax on the business of foreign and alien companies and associations; to provide for the imposition of a tax on risk retention groups and purchasing groups; to provide for the imposition of a tax on the business of surplus line agents; to provide for the imposition of regulatory fees on certain insurers; to provide for assessment fees on certain health maintenance organizations; to modify tort liability arising out of certain accidents; to provide for limited actions with respect to that modified tort liability and to prescribe certain procedures for maintaining those actions; to require security for losses arising out of certain accidents; to provide for the continued availability and affordability of automobile insurance and homeowners insurance in this state and to facilitate the purchase of that insurance by all residents of this state at fair and reasonable rates; to provide for certain reporting with respect to insurance and with respect to certain claims against uninsured or self-insured persons; to prescribe duties for certain state departments and officers with respect to that reporting; to provide for certain assessments; to establish and continue certain state insurance funds; to modify and clarify the status, rights, powers, duties, and operations of the nonprofit malpractice insurance fund; to provide for the departmental supervision and regulation of the insurance and surety business within this state; to provide for regulation over worker’s compensation self-insurers; to provide for the conservation, rehabilitation, or liquidation of unsound or insolvent insurers; to provide for the protection of policyholders, claimants, and creditors of unsound or insolvent insurers; to provide for associations of insurers to protect policyholders and claimants in the event of insurer insolvencies; to prescribe educational requirements for insurance agents and solicitors; to provide for the regulation of multiple employer welfare arrangements; to create an automobile theft prevention authority to reduce the number of automobile thefts in this state; to prescribe the powers and duties of the automobile theft prevention authority; to provide certain powers and duties upon certain officials, departments, and authorities of this state; to provide for an appropriation; to repeal acts and parts of acts; and to provide penalties for the violation of this act,” by amending section 3476 (MCL 500.3476), as amended by 2020 PA 97.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 3476. (1) An insurer that delivers, issues for delivery, or renews in this state a health insurance policy shall not require face-to-face contact between a health care professional and a patient for services appropriately provided through telemedicine, as determined by the insurer. Telemedicine services must be provided by a health care professional who is licensed, registered, or otherwise authorized to engage in his or her health care profession in the state where the patient is located. Telemedicine services are subject to all terms and conditions of the health insurance policy agreed upon between the policy holder and the insurer, including, but not limited to, required copayments, coinsurances, deductibles, and approved amounts. If a service is provided through telemedicine under this section, the insurer shall provide at least the same coverage for that service as if the service involved face-to-face contact between the health care professional and the patient.

(2) As used in this section:

(a) After December 31, 2017, “insurer” includes a nonprofit dental care corporation operating under 1963 PA 125, MCL 550.351 to 550.373.

(b) “Telemedicine” means the use of an electronic media to link patients with health care professionals in different locations. To be considered telemedicine under this section, the health care professional must be able to examine the patient via a health insurance portability and accountability act of 1996, Public Law 104-191, compliant, secure interactive audio or video, or both, telecommunications system, or through the use of store and forward online messaging.

 

Enacting section 1. Section 3476 of the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.3476, as amended by this amendatory act, applies to health insurance policies delivered, executed, issued, amended, adjusted, or renewed in this state, or outside of this state if covering residents of this state, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory act.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved___________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Governor