Senate Bill 380
Coverage of services under Medical Assistance provided through telehealth and other technologies, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, and granting rule-making authority. (FE)
Became law
The governor signed it on Nov 26, 2019. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Aug 29, 2019
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Nov 5, 2019
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Nov 7, 2019
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2019 Wisconsin Act 56
Latest entry in the official record, Nov 26, 2019: “Published 11-26-2019”
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Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill requires the Department of Health Services to provide reimbursement under the Medical Assistance program for any benefit that is covered under the Medical Assistance program, delivered by a certified Medical Assistance program, and provided through interactive telehealth. DHS must pay for such a service provided by a certified provider of Medical Assistance at a distant site an amount equal to the amount the certified provider would receive under the Medical Assistance program if the service were provided through a method other than telehealth. The bill also requires DHS to provide as a benefit under the Medical Assistance program and provide reimbursement under the Medical Assistance program for all of the following: a consultation conducted through interactive telehealth between a certified provider and a Medical Assistance recipient's provider; remote patient monitoring of a Medical Assistance recipient; asynchronous telehealth service, also known as store-and-forward; a service provided through communication technology that is covered under the federal Medicare program; and any other telehealth service specified by DHS by rule. DHS may exclude services by rule from Medical Assistance reimbursement and may provide reimbursement by rule for certain services that are not typically considered telehealth services.
The bill defines “telehealth” as a practice of health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, or transfer of medically relevant data by means of audio, video, or data communications that are used either during a patient visit or a consultation or are used to transfer medically relevant data about a patient.
Read the full summary Show less
“Telehealth” generally does not include communications delivered solely by audio-only telephone, facsimile machine, or electronic mail unless the department specifies otherwise by rule. Under the bill, “interactive telehealth” is telehealth delivered using multimedia communication technology that permits 2-way, real-time, interactive communications between a provider at a distant site and the Medical Assistance recipient or the recipient's provider. “Remote patient monitoring” is telehealth in which a patient's medical data is transmitted to a provider for monitoring and response if necessary. “Asynchronous telehealth service” is telehealth that is used to transmit medical data about a patient to a provider when the transmission is not a 2-way, real-time, interactive communication.
Under the bill, DHS is prohibited from requiring a certified provider of Medical Assistance that provides a reimbursable service under the bill to obtain an additional certification or meet additional requirements solely because the service was delivered through telehealth, except that DHS may require, by rule, that the transmission of information through telehealth be of sufficient quality to be functionally equivalent to face-to-face contact. DHS may apply any requirement that is applicable to a covered service that is not provided through telehealth to any service provided through telehealth under the bill. The bill prohibits DHS from limiting coverage or reimbursement of a service provided through telehealth under the bill based on the location of the Medical Assistance recipient when the service is provided.
Current law requires reimbursement under the Medical Assistance program of certain mental health services provided through telehealth and defines telehealth for that purpose. The bill eliminates the current provision that applies only to mental health services. The benefit and reimbursement requirements under the bill apply to any Medical Assistance services and are not limited to mental health services.
Who's behind it
16 senators are its . 9 are Republicans and 7 are Democrats.
51 more lawmakers .
See all 67 names Hide the names
Authors (16)
- Kathleen Bernier · Republican, Senate
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Rob Cowles · Republican, Senate
- Alberta Darling · Republican, Senate
- Jon Erpenbach · Democrat, Senate
- Dan Feyen · Republican, Senate
- Dave Hansen · Democrat, Senate
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Dale Kooyenga · Republican, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
- Devin LeMahieu · Republican, Senate
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
- Patty Schachtner · Democrat, Senate
- Duey Stroebel · Republican, Senate
- Patrick Testin · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (51)
- Jimmy Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Beth Meyers · Democrat, Assembly
- Joan Ballweg · Republican, Senate
- Jill Billings · Democrat, Assembly
- Mark Born · Republican, Assembly
- David Bowen · Democrat, Assembly
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Considine · Democrat, Assembly
- David Crowley · Democrat, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- Cindi Duchow · Republican, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Mary Felzkowski · Republican, Senate
- Jason Fields · Democrat, Assembly
- Cody Horlacher · Republican, Assembly
- John Jagler · Republican, Senate
- Jesse James · Republican, Senate
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Debra Kolste · Democrat, Assembly
- Mike Kuglitsch · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Kulp · Republican, Assembly
- Tony Kurtz · Republican, Assembly
- LaKeshia Myers · Democrat, Assembly
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Amy Loudenbeck · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- John Nygren · Republican, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Loren Oldenburg · Republican, Assembly
- Warren Petryk · Republican, Assembly
- Jon Plumer · Republican, Assembly
- Sondy Pope · Democrat, Assembly
- Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
- Daniel Riemer · Democrat, Assembly
- Mike Rohrkaste · Republican, Assembly
- Ken Skowronski · Republican, Assembly
- Pat Snyder · Republican, Assembly
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Rob Summerfield · Republican, Assembly
- Gary Tauchen · Republican, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Travis Tranel · Republican, Assembly
- Ron Tusler · Republican, Assembly
- Nancy VanderMeer · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Wittke · Republican, Assembly
- Shannon Zimmerman · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
How lawmakers voted
There were 2 votes on this bill.
Senate Committee on Health and Human Services vote on an amendment
Passed, 5 to 0 · Oct 23, 2019
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Health and Human Services, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Health and Human Services vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Oct 23, 2019
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Health and Human Services, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Nov 26, 2019
The new law was published.
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Nov 26, 2019
The governor signed it. It became 2019 Wisconsin Act 56.
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Nov 19, 2019
Sent to the governor.
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Nov 7, 2019
The Assembly passed it too.
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Nov 5, 2019
“Read first time and referred to calendar of 11-7-2019 pursuant to Assembly Rule 42 (1)(a)” (the official wording)
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Nov 5, 2019
The Assembly received it.
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Nov 5, 2019
The Senate passed it.
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Nov 5, 2019
The Senate adopted it.
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Oct 28, 2019
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Oct 23, 2019
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Oct 23, 2019
“Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Health and Human Services, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)
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Oct 9, 2019
The committee held a public hearing.
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Oct 3, 2019
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Sep 9, 2019 to Sep 19, 2019
3 more representatives and 1 senator signed on in support.
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Aug 29, 2019
Sent to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.
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Aug 29, 2019
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Aug 29, 2019 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Kooyenga, Bewley, Testin, Carpenter, Bernier, Cowles, Darling, Erpenbach, Feyen, Hansen, Johnson, LeMahieu, Petrowski, Schachtner, Stroebel and L. Taylor; cosponsored by Representatives Loudenbeck, Kolste, Quinn, Riemer, Anderson, Ballweg, Billings, Born, Bowen, Considine, Crowley, Dittrich, Doyle, Duchow, Emerson, Felzkowski, Fields, Horlacher, Jagler, Kitchens, Kulp, Kuglitsch, Kurtz, B. Meyers, Mursau, L. Myers, Nygren, Ohnstad, Oldenburg, Petryk, Plumer, Pope, Rohrkaste, Snyder, Spreitzer, Steffen, Subeck, Summerfield, Tauchen, C. Taylor, Thiesfeldt, Tittl, Tranel, Tusler, VanderMeer and Zimmerman
- Aug 29, 2019 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human Services
- Sep 9, 2019 · Senate
Representative Skowronski added as a cosponsor
- Sep 10, 2019 · Senate
Representative James added as a cosponsor
- Sep 17, 2019 · Senate
Senator Larson added as a coauthor
- Sep 18, 2019 · Senate
- Sep 19, 2019 · Senate
Representative Edming added as a cosponsor
- Oct 3, 2019 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Oct 9, 2019 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Oct 21, 2019 · Senate
LRB correction
- Oct 23, 2019 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Oct 23, 2019 · Senate
Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Health and Human Services, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Oct 23, 2019 · Senate
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Health and Human Services, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Oct 23, 2019 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Oct 24, 2019 · Senate
- Oct 28, 2019 · Senate
Representative Wittke added as a cosponsor
- Nov 1, 2019 · Senate
Placed on calendar 11-5-2019 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Nov 5, 2019 · Senate
Read a second time
- Nov 5, 2019 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 adopted
- Nov 5, 2019 · Senate
Senate Amendment 2 adopted
- Nov 5, 2019 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Nov 5, 2019 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Nov 5, 2019 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Nov 5, 2019 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 5, 2019 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Nov 5, 2019 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to calendar of 11-7-2019 pursuant to Assembly Rule 42 (1)(a)
- Nov 7, 2019 · Assembly
Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up
- Nov 7, 2019 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Nov 7, 2019 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Nov 7, 2019 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Nov 7, 2019 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in
- Nov 7, 2019 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 8, 2019 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Nov 13, 2019 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Nov 19, 2019 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 11-19-2019 by directive of the President, pursuant to Senate Rule 44m (3)
- Nov 26, 2019 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 11-25-2019. 2019 Wisconsin Act 56
- Nov 26, 2019 · Senate
Published 11-26-2019
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote