Telehealth Essentials for Sexual + Reproductive Health Care

The national coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis has fast-tracked significant transformations in our health care delivery system, including a necessary shift toward providing time-sensitive services through telehealth. Essential Access Health has compiled the following resources to support health providers in the delivery of quality family planning and STI testing and treatment through telehealth modalities. This page will continue to be updated as additional resources become available.

• Federal Guidance + COVID-19 Policy
• California Guidance + COVID-19 Policy
• Clinical Guidelines + Recommendations
• Billing + Reimbursement
• Clinic Operations + Telehealth Platforms
• Training Opportunities
• Quick Guides + Toolkits
• Technical Assistance

Federal Guidance + COVID-19 Policy

• Guidance for Title X Providers from the Office of Population Affairs:
  • FAQs for Title X Grantees
  • COVID-19 Related Questions for Title X Grantees
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
  • The Use of Telehealth and Telemedicine in Public Health
  • Toolkit for Technology-based Partner Services
  • Data Security + Confidentiality Guidelines
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:
  • CMS Telehealth Medicaid Fact Sheet
  • FAQs on Telehealth Services through Private Health Insurance Coverage
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
  • Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Telehealth Remote Communications (COVID-19)
  • FAQs on Telehealth + HIPAA During COVID-19

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California State Guidance + COVID-19 Policy

• CA Department of Health Care Services:
  • Guidance for FPACT Virtual/Telephonic Communications​ (March 26, 2020)
  • Guidance for Family PACT Providers, including Telephonic Client Enrollment and Re-certification (Updated Mar 26, 2020)
  • Medi-Cal Payment for Telehealth and Virtual/Telephonic Communications Relative to COVID-19 (Jan 5, 2021)
  • Emergency Telehealth Guidance to Medi-Cal Manage Care Plans - COVID 19 (March 18, 2020)
  • Medi-Cal Payment for Medical Services Related to the 2019-Novel Coronavirus (March 16, 2020)
  • Requirements and Procedures for Emergency Medi-Cal Provider Enrollment 
  • Family PACT Provider + Client FAQ during COVID-19
  • Direct-to-Patient Dispensing of Subcutaneous Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA-SQ)
• CA Department Managed Health Care: All Plan Letter Regarding Reimbursement for Telehealth Services (March 18, 2020)
• CA Office of the Governor: Executive Order Expanding Telehealth Services via Video-chat + Applications Without Risk of Penalty
• California Healthcare Foundation: The State of Telehealth in Medi-Cal Managed Care: Taking Stock in the Era of COVID-19 (PDF)
• NHELP Fact Sheet: Telehealth Guidance for California Private Plans During the COVID-19 Emergency

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Clinical Guidelines + Recommendations

• ASCCP: Interim Guidance for Timing of Diagnostic + Treatment Procedures for Patients with Abnormal Cervical Screening Tests
• CDC: Dear Colleague Letter Regarding STD Treatment Options + Covid-19
• Essential Access Health Learning Exchange: Family Planning Clinic Preparedness for COVID-19
• Family Planning National Training Center: What Family Planning Providers Can Do to Meet Client Needs During COVID-19
• UCSF: Contraceptive Care During Covid-19

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Billing + Reimbursement

• National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association: Initiating Telehealth in Response to COVID-19: Coding and Billing for Telehealth Services
• CA Department of Health Care Services: Medi-Cal Payment for Medical Services Related to the 2019-Novel Coronavirus (March 16, 2020)
• California Telehealth Resource Center: Telehealth Reimbursement Guide
• Center for Connected Health Policy:
  • Telehealth Coverage in the Time of COVID-19
  • Current State Laws and Reimbursement Policies
• National Health Law Program:
  • Overview on Using Medicaid to Respond to COVID-19
  • Medicaid Coverage of Family Planning Services Delivered via Telehealth
• UCSF: Contraceptive Care During Covid-19
• Telehealth Coding COVID-19 Guide
• CPCA: Telehealth + Telephonic Payment & Billing Cheat Sheet (May 8, 2020)
• Essential Access Health: Frequently Asked Questions Telehealth Billing + Clinical Care During COVID-19

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Clinic Operations + Telehealth Platforms

• CDC: Dear Colleague Letter Regarding STD Treatment Options + Covid-19
• Family Planning National Training Center:
  • What Family Planning Providers Can Do to Meet Client Needs During COVID-19
  • In-Person + Virtual Visits During COVID-19: A Decision-Making Guide for Staff
• California Telehealth Resource Center: Sample Forms and Guidelines
• Care Innovations: Telehealth During COVID-19 – FQHC Workflows and Guides
• NFPRHA:
  • Self-Administration of Injectable Contraception
  • Sample Telehealth Workflows
    • Technology Set-Up
    • Patient Work Up
    • Connecting to Interpretation Services
    • Contraceptive Initiation and Management
  • Telehealth for Family Planning Providers: A Video Guide
• UCSF: Contraceptive Care During Covid-19
• Reproductive Health Access Project: E-Visit Template for Contraception
• Telehealth Platform Roundup
• Kaiser Family Foundation: Telemedicine in Sexual + Reproductive Health

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Training Opportunities

• Essential Access Health Learning Exchange:
  • Telehealth Tips for Providing Contraceptive Care (FREE e-course, published June 1, 2021)
  • Family Planning Clinic Preparedness for COVID-19 (slide handout)
  • Contraceptive Care During COVID-19: Overcoming Challenges + Optimizing Opportunities (Zoom Recording)
  • The Impact of Evolving Telemedicine Regulations on Family Planning Services in CA (slide handout)
  • Expanding Delivery of Quality Sexual + Reproductive Health Care Through Telehealth (slide handout)
• California Telehealth Resource Center: Telehealth Implementation Workshop
• National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers: Telehealth and COVID-19 Webinar
• Innovating Education in Reproductive Health: Teaching Patients How to Self-Administer DMPA

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Quick Guides + Toolkits

• CDC: Self-administration of DMPA-SC
• Family Planning National Training Center:
  • What Family Planning Providers Can Do to Meet Client Needs During COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Telehealth Toolkit
  • COVID-19 Family Planning Social Media Toolkit
  • Telehealth Visit Staffing and Steps Sample Outline
  • Telehealth Services Informed Consent Samples
  • Telehealth Visit Chart Audits
• National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association: Initiating Telehealth in Response to COVID-19: Initial Considerations and Resources
• American Medical Association: Quick Guide to Telemedicine Practice
• Essential Access Health:
  • A Mini-Guide to Contraceptive Care During COVID-19
  • Access to Sexual + Reproductive Health Services During COVID-19
  • Frequently Asked Questions: Telehealth Billing + Clinical Care During COVID-19
  • Frequently Asked Questions: Delivering Sexual Health Services During COVID-19
• Reproductive Access: COVID-19 Reproductive Health Care Resources

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Technical Assistance

• National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Center: Free Telehealth Technical Assistance

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Contact us to learn more about providing family planning and related services through telehealth.