ORIGINATING/SPOKE SITE: The location where the patient is located, whether accompanied or not by a health care provider, at the time services are provided by a health care provider through telehealth, including but not limited to a health care provider’s office, hospital, critical access hospital, rural health clinic, federally qualified health center, a patient’s home, and other nonmedical environments such as school-based health centers, universitybased health centers, or the work location of the patient. The originating site includes a patient’s residence. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, expects that patients should not receive telehealth services in public or semi-public settings, absent patient consent or exigent circumstances.
DISTANT/HUB SITE: The location of the enrolled Hawai‘i Medicaid provider delivering Medicaid eligible services through telehealth. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, expects health care providers will implement HIPAA safeguards and conduct telehealth in private settings, such as a doctor in a clinic or office connecting to a patient who is at home or at another clinic.
For Audio-Only – For services furnished for purposes of diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of a mental health disorder to a patient in their home, interactive telecommunications may include two-way, real-time audioonly communication technology if the distant site physician or practitioner is technically capable to use an interactive telecommunications system as defined in the previous sentence, but the patient is not capable of, or does not consent to, the use of video technology.
SOURCE: Med-QUEST Memo QI-2527/FFS 25-12/CCS-2509 (Dec. 8, 2025). (Accessed Dec 2025).
Originating site means the location where the patient is located, whether accompanied or not by a health care provider, at the time services are provided by a health care provider through telehealth, including but not limited to a health care provider’s office, hospital, critical access hospital, rural health clinic, federally qualified health center, a patient’s home, and other non-medical environments such as school-based health centers, university-based health centers, or the work location of the patient.
SOURCE: HI Revised Statues Section 346-59.1(g). (Repeal and reenactment December 31, 2027 (SB 1281 (2025))). (Accessed Dec 2025).
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