The complete guide to private practice telehealth
Telehealth has transformed rapidly from an emergency pandemic solution to a permanent fixture in therapy and mental health treatment.
And, with that transformation, a complex web of rules, regulations, insurance policies, and best practices have come about. These new rules might feel overwhelming to navigate.
As a clinician offering telehealth services, you're not just responsible for providing high-quality care—you must also stay compliant with all relevant federal and state regulations, understand the insurance coverage aspect, and follow specialty-specific guidelines that ensure you're practicing both ethically and legally while seeing clients virtually.
And, as an added challenge?
Telehealth regulations and policies are constantly evolving.
So, as a practitioner, it’s not just a matter of understanding telehealth today; it’s also about staying on top of what’s happening in telehealth moving forward—and adjusting your practice accordingly.
Luckily, there are plenty of resources out there that can help you stay in the loop on all things telehealth, including insurance and legal policies.
In this article, we’ll outline some of the most helpful telehealth resources and why they’re important.
Plus, you can download a comprehensive directory so you can access the resources you need, when you need them.
Why telehealth resources are critical for your practice
Before we jump into specific telehealth resources, let’s touch on why these resources are so important for your practice.
When it comes to telehealth laws, regulations, and guidelines, there’s no one-size-fits-all standard.
“Telehealth rules change a lot and vary by state and license type,” says Rena Freedman, LPC Associate, a Dallas-based therapist who specializes in treating anxiety, OCD, and mood-related disorders.
Tapping into resources specific to your area and/or license type can give you a blueprint for how to build your telehealth practice.
These resources can also give you the information you need to ensure you’re conducting your sessions in a way that not only delivers the best care to your client, but protects you from non-compliance (and the consequences that can come along with it).
“Staying informed helps you stay compliant, protect client confidentiality, and provide accurate information to your clients about coverage, consent, and protocols,” says Freedman.
Telehealth resources can also help you stay up-to-date on the most current telehealth rules, regulations, and best practices—which, again, is super important as they often change.
If you’re operating with out-of-date guidelines (or guidelines that aren’t applicable to your location, license type, or area of practice), you could find yourself dealing with a variety of issues.
“If you’re not up-to-date on insurance regulations, you may do something incorrectly, which could lead to not being reimbursed for your service,” says Pennsylvania-based psychotherapist Kayla Meyer, LPC. “If you’re not in compliance with current regulations, this could also lead to a malpractice investigation with your licensing board.”
Clearly, telehealth resources play an important role in keeping you compliant and up-to-date on relevant rules and regulations.
But they can also play a role in improving your client care.
Because virtual care has become so prominent, many clients expect their providers to be knowledgeable on all things telehealth.
Clients may expect you to be able to answer questions about everything from insurance coverage to telehealth platforms, in addition to addressing any concerns they might have about participating in therapy via telehealth.
The right resources can give you the knowledge and confidence you need to speak to clients about telehealth with authority—which, in turn, can build trust and improve their overall experience.
The telehealth resources you need to effectively run your practice
Let’s take a look at some key telehealth resources you may find helpful as you’re starting, building, and managing your telehealth practice:
Legal and educational resources
Understanding the legal framework surrounding telehealth is an absolute must for practicing safely and effectively.
Legal and educational resources can help provide the foundation you need to understand the legal side of telehealth, stay current with policy changes and shifting best practices, and ensure you’re running your telehealth practice in a way that meets all of your regulatory requirements.
This may include membership organizations that focus specifically on telehealth, policy research centers that analyze and report on regulatory changes, legal organizations that provide compliance guidance for practitioners, and government agencies that establish and enforce telehealth regulations.
These resources can help you understand complex legal topics—for example, interstate licensing requirements, HIPAA compliance in virtual practice settings, emergency protocols, or documentation requirements.
Many also provide ongoing education opportunities, policy updates, and access to FAQs, resource guides, and even expert guidance for when you come across challenging or unique situations.
Some legal and educational resources you may find helpful include:
American Telemedicine Organization: Member organization completely focused on telehealth education, support, and advancing the field.
Center for Connected Health Policy: Researches and analyzes important telehealth policy issues, engages influential public and private sectors through analyses and reports, and provides key telehealth policy resources nationwide.
Center for Telehealth & e-Health Law: The “go-to” legal and regulatory health organization.
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA): Supports access to health care in rural areas, the training of health professionals, the distribution of providers to areas where they are needed most, and improvements in health care delivery.
National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Center: Centralized point to learn about telehealth programs.
Guidance by specialty and/or location
As mentioned, telehealth regulations can vary based on a variety of factors, including your location or speciality/area of practice.
As such, seeking out speciality-specific resources can be especially helpful in getting the guidance you need to run your telehealth practice. Rather than generic, general information on telehealth, these resources—which are generally spearheaded by professional associations—offer guidance specific to your field.
For example, these resources often provide information on the particular ethical, clinical, and regulatory issues most relevant to your area of practice. And, your state’s licensing board’s website can offer location-specific guidance for managing your telehealth practice, staying compliant, and navigating any challenges.
“My state licensing board’s website [and] professional associations…are [some of] my go-to resources,” says Freedman.
For example, a psychologist providing individual therapy to adults in California may have different considerations, challenges, and regulatory requirements than a social worker providing case management services to children in Ohio.
For these practitioners, seeking out location and speciality-specific guidance can ensure they’re getting the information that’s most relevant to their practice from all perspectives—legal/regulatory, compliance, and clinical.
These resources also often include practical tools to support your practice, like consent forms tailored to your specialty, documentation templates that meet industry standards, and continuing education opportunities.
Bottom line?
Staying connected with your professional association's telehealth guidance ensures you're not just meeting general telehealth requirements, but also maintaining the specific professional standards expected in your discipline. This is particularly important as licensing boards and professional organizations continue to develop more detailed telehealth standards for different specialties.
Some specialty-specific telehealth resources include:
State Licensing Board Websites: Varies by state and license type
Insurance resources
Arguably, no aspect of telehealth is more complex—or more critical to your practice's financial success—than understanding insurance coverage and reimbursement policies.
Insurance resources help you navigate the often-confusing world of telehealth billing, coverage requirements, and reimbursement procedures.
While most insurers now cover telehealth services, the requirements can vary dramatically between providers.
Many providers have their own specific policies about covered services, billing protocols, technology requirements, documentation standards, reimbursement rates, and the list goes on.
And, if you accept government insurance programs (like Medicare and Medicaid), it can add another layer of complexity as these programs have their own rules and regulations that are often different from (and more restrictive than) private insurance companies.
The good news? Many insurance companies and government programs provide detailed telehealth policies on their websites.
“Checking in with the insurance companies you are credentialed with can be helpful,” says Meyer. “Insurance companies usually have a provider part of their website where they will share updates to telehealth regulations. They may also send out emails with these updates.”
You can access resources from some of the major insurers and government programs here:
Leverage these resources to build a thriving (and compliant) telehealth practice
These telehealth resources can help you better understand telehealth: what rules and regulations you need to comply with, how to better work with insurance companies, and how to provide the highest level of care for your clients.
Make sure to keep this list handy and check your relevant resources regularly to stay up-to-date on new telehealth policies, regulatory changes, and evolving best practices.
How SimplePractice streamlines running your practice
SimplePractice is HIPAA-compliant practice management software with everything you need to run your practice built into the platform—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing.
If you’ve been considering switching to an EHR system, SimplePractice empowers you to run a fully paperless practice—so you get more time for the things that matter most to you.
Try SimplePractice free for 30 days. No credit card required.
