Nebraska Telepractice Requirements for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists

The information below is collected from state licensure boards or regulatory agencies responsible for regulating the professions of audiology and/or speech-language pathology. The information is reviewed on an annual basis. Please be advised that laws, regulations, and policies may change at any time, so always check with your state for the most up-to-date information.

Telepractice State Licensure Board Requirements

This state has a definition for telepractice.

38-120.01. Telehealth, defined. Telehealth means the use of medical information electronically exchanged from one site to another, whether synchronously or asynchronously, to aid a credential holder in the diagnosis or treatment of a patient. Telehealth includes services originating from a patient's home or any other location where such patient is located, asynchronous services involving the acquisition and storage of medical information at one site that is then forwarded to or retrieved by a credential holder at another site for medical evaluation, and telemonitoring.

Citation: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-120.01

38-120.02. Telemonitoring, defined. Telemonitoring means the remote monitoring of a patient's vital signs, biometric data, or subjective data by a monitoring device which transmits such data electronically to a credential holder for analysis and storage. Source: Laws 2018, LB701, § 4. (Effective Date: July 19, 2018)

Citation: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38.120.02

Telesupervision State Licensure Board Laws and Regulations

This state has no laws or regulations for telesupervision of support personnel, clinical fellows, or student interns.

Support Personnel

No regulations.

Clinical Fellow

No regulations.

Student Intern

No regulations.

Telepractice Reimbursement Laws and Regulations

Telepractice Private Insurance

The law is not clearly defined indicating that any healthcare provider and service may be covered. It is left up to interpretation and/or will be determined by the payers. Clinician will have to contact payer sources to determine if and how telepractice is covered for audiology and speech-language pathology services.

Telehealth Coverage

Any insurer offering (1) any individual or group sickness and accident insurance policy, certificate, or subscriber contract delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state, (2) any hospital, medical, or surgical expense-incurred policy, or (3) any self-funded employee benefit plan to the extent not preempted by federal law, shall not exclude, in any policy, certificate, contract, or plan offered or renewed on or after August 24, 2017, a service from coverage solely because the service is delivered through telehealth as defined in section 44-312 and is not provided through in-person consultation or contact between a licensed health care provider and a patient. This section does not apply to any policy, certificate, contract, or plan that provides coverage for a specified disease or other limited-benefit coverage.

Citation: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 44-7,107

Telepractice Medicaid

The law is not clearly defined indicating that any healthcare provider and service may be covered under the managed care plan. It is left up to interpretation and/or will be determined by the payers. Clinician will have to contact payer sources to determine if and how telepractice is covered for audiology and speech-language pathology services.

Nebraska Telehealth Act – Terms, defined

For purposes of the Nebraska Telehealth Act:

(1) Department means the Department of Health and Human Services;

(2) Health care practitioner means a Nebraska medicaid-enrolled provider who is licensed, registered, or certified to practice in this state by the department;

(3) Telehealth means the use of medical information electronically exchanged from one site to another, whether synchronously or asynchronously, to aid a health care practitioner in the diagnosis or treatment of a patient. Telehealth includes services originating from a patient's home or any other location where such patient is located, asynchronous services involving the acquisition and storage of medical information at one site that is then forwarded to or retrieved by a health care practitioner at another site for medical evaluation, and telemonitoring;

(4) Telehealth consultation means any contact between a patient and a health care practitioner relating to the health care diagnosis or treatment of such patient through telehealth; and

(5) Telemonitoring means the remote monitoring of a patient's vital signs, biometric data, or subjective data by a monitoring device which transmits such data electronically to a health care practitioner for analysis and storage.

Citation: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 71-8503

ASHA Guidance

Telepractice State Licensure

Obtain a license from the state in which you reside and from the state in which the patient/client resides.
If a state has not established regulations on telepractice, then contact the licensure board for further guidance and ask for written verification.
It is the responsibility of the clinician to review the regulations on the state licensure board website in their entirety and regularly for updates or changes.

Telesupervision

If a state has not established regulations on telesupervision, then contact the licensure board for further guidance and ask for written verification.

Reimbursement for Telepractice Services

Audiologists and speech-language pathologists should keep in mind that while a state may have passed telepractice reimbursement laws and/or regulations, this does not guarantee that payers will reimburse for these services. Learn more about considerations for audiologists and speech-language pathologists.