For most patients in California, having a telehealth visit with an out-of-state doctor is not legal.
During the pandemic, telehealth visits were allowed under state and federal executive orders. However, once the emergency declaration ended, laws banning these visits were enforced, and an out-of-state doctor was legally prevented from conducting a telehealth visit.
Medical technology is advancing quickly, but even in California, some of the newest science remains out of reach. That is when patients with newly treatable diseases have to leave the state to receive state-of-the-art care. During the pandemic, when telehealth visits were allowed, out-of-state expertise did not cause harmful treatment. However, now, patients with life-threatening conditions are compelled to travel out of California, even if they are weakened by their illness or cannot afford to travel.
Clearly, this can result in more suffering.
Therefore, we have proposed a bill in the California legislature, Senate Bill 1002, authored by Sen. Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks, and co-authored by Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares, R-Acton, to allow Californians with life-threatening illnesses to have telehealth visits with their out-of-state expert doctors.
We hope The Signal readers will support SB 1002 because it benefits you and your family.
Robin Clough and Dr. Gene Dorio
Saugus
