Telemedicine Is a Game Changer For Health Care – Shawn Parker Chairs National Group That Will Help Determine Future Regulation

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) has appointed Smith Anderson health care attorney Shawn Parker to chair its Workgroup on Telemedicine that will study and make recommendations about the future of telehealth and telemedicine. The new committee is comprised of prominent medical and legal minds from across the country and is charged with updating the FSMB’s Model Policy for the Appropriate Use of Telemedicine Technologies in the Practice of Medicine, while taking into account the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national organization’s chair, Kenneth Simons, M.D, calls the new committee one of the FSMB’s most crucial workgroups in the coming year. State and federal laws and regulations are constantly evolving and the quick shift to telehealth is changing relationships not only between physicians and patients, but also among providers, and between providers and payers. Patient demand for virtual health care visits is at an all-time high; therefore, this new business innovation of telemedicine and telehealth prompts more study among experts. The committee is comprised of representatives of the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association, the US HRSA, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, American Telemedicine Association and various state medical licensure boards. 

Shawn serves as director-at-large on the FSMB’s board of directors and serves on the North Carolina Medical Board. His new role with FSMB’s telemedicine workgroup will not only expand his influence to develop policy at the national level with in-depth knowledge of nationwide trends in telehealth license and regulation, but it helps position Smith Anderson’s Health Care practice group as a leader in health care law. The Workgroup on Telemedicine is charged with:

• Evaluating the impact of license waivers and modification on the practice of telemedicine across state lines,
• Evaluating geographic, site-specific effects on the practice of telemedicine and the impact on patient access and care,
• Reviewing current state and federal legislative, policy and regulatory trends,
• Evaluating the appropriate use of telemedicine during public health emergencies vs. non-emergency times, and,
• Developing a report and recommendations revising and expanding the Model Policy for the Appropriate Use of Telemedicine Technologies in the Practice of Medicine, based upon recent experiences and outcomes related to intra- and interstate telemedicine practice.

Shawn regularly advises clients on health care policy, legislative advocacy, executive strategy and regulatory guidance concerning business planning of medicine. Smith Anderson’s health care team counsels clients on all aspects of health care law and the developing regulatory landscape that affect telehealth and telemedicine services.

About the Federation of State Medical Boards

The Federation of State Medical Boards is a national non-profit organization that serves as the voice for state medical boards, supporting them through education, assessment, research and advocacy while providing services and initiatives that promote patient safety, quality health care and regulatory best practices. The FSMB plays a crucial role in advocating for federal and state policies that positively impact the health and safety of patients and the medical regulatory system. From its advocacy office in Washington, D.C., the FSMB provides legislative, legal and communications services to assist its member medical boards and partner organizations. For more information, please visit www.fsmb.org/about-fsmb/.

About Smith Anderson’s Telehealth and Telemedicine Healthcare Practice

• Compliance with federal and state laws affecting the practice of telehealth and telemedicine.
• Matters that include scope of practice, licensure, patient consent, prescribing, privacy and security, corporate practice of medicine, and fraud and abuse.
• Contract negotiations with providers, payers, and tech companies.
• Considerations of corporate structures with counsel on issues that impact clients’ business model, marketing, and the protection of intellectual property rights.
• Tracking of federal and state legislation and regulations to help clients understand their impact their operations.
• Coordination with professional and trade associations on clients’ priorities and the challenges they face.