TeleMental Health Regulations.

The Mental Hygiene Administration formed a Maryland Medicaid Telepsychiatry Regulations workgroup in the fall of 2007.  The chairperson of the group was Dr Brian Grady.  The workgroup was open to any telemental health stakeholder in Maryland.  The group composition was broad in nature and included participants from the Core Service Agencies, the University of Maryland, the Mental Hygiene Administration, Maryland Office of Rural Health, Sheppard Pratt Health System, and Correctional Mental Health.  The workgroup met several times and utilized a shared website to exchange information and documents.  The goal of the workgroup was to discuss and reach consensus on a draft telepsychiatry regulation for telemental health services to Medicaid recipients.   The limitations of the work group were that the originating sites would have to be rural areas and services would be limited to psychiatry.  These parameters reflect the critical need of prescribing mental health providers in the rural areas of the State and while providing some control and time to assess the impact of a new program on quality of care, utilization, acceptance and costs.  It is anticipated that other mental health services may be added with successful demonstration of this initial regulation. 

The COMAR can be viewed here.