Definitions

“Telehealth” means the use of electronic information and communication technologies by telehealth providers to deliver health care services, which shall include the assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management and/or self-management of a patient. Telehealth shall not include delivery of health care services by means of facsimile machines, or electronic messaging alone, though use of these technologies is not precluded if used in conjunction with telemedicine, store and forward technology, or remote patient monitoring. For purposes of this section, telehealth shall be limited to telemedicine, store and forward technology, remote patient monitoring and audio-only telephone communication, except that with respect to the medical assistance program established under section three hundred sixty-six of the social services law, and the child health insurance plan under title one-A of article twenty-five of this chapter, telehealth shall include audio-only telephone communication only to the extent defined in regulations as may be promulgated by the commissioner. This subdivision shall not preclude the delivery of health care services by means of “home telehealth” as used in section thirty-six hundred fourteen of this chapter.

“Telemedicine” means the use of synchronous, two-way electronic audio visual communications to deliver clinical health care services, which shall include the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a patient, while such patient is at the originating site and a telehealth provider is at a distant site.

SOURCE: NY Public Health Law Article 29 – G Section 2999-cc. (Accessed Feb. 2026).

Applied Behavior Analysis, Mental Health Practitioners, Psychology Practice & Social Work

Telepractice includes the use of telecommunications and web-based applications to provide assessment, diagnosis, intervention, consultation, supervision, education and information across distance. It may include providing non-face-to-face applied behavior analysis (ABA), psychological, mental health, marriage and family, creative arts, psychoanalytic, psychotherapy and social work services via technology such as telephone, e-mail, chat and videoconferencing.

SOURCE: NY Office of the Professions, Applied Behavior Analysis, Practice Guidelines; Mental Health Practitioners, Telepractice; Psychology Practice, Telepractice Guidelines; Social Work, Telepractice Guidelines, (Accessed Feb. 2026).

Speech Language Pathology and Audiology

“Telepractice” is providing service that is not “in person” and is delivered through the use of technology. Such technology may include, but is not limited to: telephone, telefax, email, internet, or videoconference. It is considered a mode of practice and the same standards that apply to all forms of practice in the speech-language pathology and audiology professions would apply to telepractice. With reference to speech-language pathology and audiology, telepractice is the use of technology for the application of speech language pathology and audiology services over a distance by connecting a qualified and licensed clinician to a client or one clinician to another for assessment, treatment, and/or consultation.

SOURCE: NY Office of the Professions, Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Practice Guidelines. (Accessed Feb. 2026).

Physical Therapy

“Telepractice” is providing service that is not “in person” and is facilitated through the use of technology. Such technology may include, but is not limited to, telephone, telefax, e-mail, internet, or videoconference.

SOURCE: NY Office of the Professions, Physical Therapy. Practice Guidelines, (Accessed Feb. 2026).

Related to Credentialing and Privileging health care practitioners providing telemedicine

“Telemedicine means the delivery of clinical health care services by means of real time two-way electronic audio-visual communications which facilitate the assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management and self-management of a patient’s health care, while such patient is at the originating site and the health care provider is at a distant site.”

SOURCE: NY Public Health Law Article 28 – Section 2805-u. (Accessed Feb. 2026).

Clinic Treatment Facilities (Office for People with Developmental Disabilities – Dept. of Mental Hygiene)

Telehealth: The use of electronic information and communication technologies by a health care provider to deliver health care services to an individual while such individual is located at a site that is different from the site where the health care provider is located.

SOURCE: 14 CRR-NY 679.99(w). (Accessed Feb. 2026).

Office of Addiction Services and Supports

Telehealth (formerly referred to as telepractice) as defined in 14 NYCRR Part 830 is the delivery of addiction treatment services via audio and video telecommunication, audio-only or video-only telecommunication.

SOURCE: OASAS Telehealth Standards for OASAS Designated Providers, p. 3, Aug. 2023. (Accessed Feb. 2026).

Telehealth as defined in the Insurance Law §§ 3217-h and 4306-g and Public Health Law § 4406-g is the use of electronic information and communication technologies by a provider to deliver health care services to an insured individual while the individual is located at a site that is different from the site where the provider is located. Services may be delivered by OASAS certified approved or otherwise authorized programs.

SOURCE: OASAS Guidance for Implementation and Utilization Review for Addiction Services. Dec. 2025. (Accessed Feb. 2026).