BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The State Medical Board adopted emergency regulations regarding telemedicine.

On April 30, 2020, the State Medical Board adopted, as emergency regulations, changes in 12 AAC 40
of the Alaska Administrative Code dealing with telemedicine, including the following:

12 AAC 40.943. Standards of practice for telemedicine, is being amended to allow a physician or physician assistant to examine, diagnose and treat a patient for an opioid use disorder without a healthcare provider present with the patient, during a public health emergency disaster declared by the governor under AS 26.23.020.

The emergency regulation took effect May 5, 2020, and will expire September 1, 2020. The State Medical Board does not intend to make the emergency regulations filed on May 5, 2020, permanent.

A copy of the emergency regulation is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by
contacting Sher Zinn at (907) 465-1049 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov, or go to https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/MED-0520-Regs.pdf.

Statutory authority:  AS 08.64.100; AS 08.64.101; AS 08.64.364

Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 08.64.100; AS 08.64.101; AS 08.64.364

Fiscal information:  The regulation is not expected to require an increased appropriation.

Date: 5/8/2020
         Sher Zinn, Regulations Specialist
         Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing

For each occupation regulated under the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, the Division keeps a list of individuals or organizations who are interested in the regulations of that occupation.  The Division automatically sends a Notice of Proposed Regulations to the parties on the appropriate list each time there is a proposed change in an occupation's regulations in Title 12 of the Alaska Administrative Code.  If you would like your address added to or removed from such a list, send your request to the Division at the address above, giving your name, either your e-mail address or mailing address (as you prefer for receiving notices), and the occupational area in which you are interested.

ADDITIONAL REGULATION NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d))

1. Adopting agency: State Medical Board - Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic
    Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. 

2. General subject of regulation: Telemedicine.

3. Citation of regulation: 12 AAC 40.943.

4. Department of Law file number:

5. Reason for the proposed action: Emergency regulations dealing with the declared public health
    emergency for the COVID 19 pandemic.

6. Appropriation/Allocation: Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing - #2360.

7. Estimated annual cost to comply with the proposed action to:
    A private person: None known.
    Another state agency: None known.
    A municipality: None known.

8. Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding (in thousands of dollars):
    No costs are expected in FY 2020 or in subsequent years.

9. The name of the contact person for the regulation:
    Alysia Jones, Executive Administrator
    State Medical Board
    Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
    Telephone: (907) 465-6243
    E-mail: alysia.jones@alaska.gov

10. The origin of the proposed action: State Medical Board.

11. Date:  5/8/2020
      Prepared by: Sher Zinn, Regulations Specialist