Regulation of Telemedicine

Although telemedicine is not a separate medical specialty, telemedicine in Oklahoma is regulated specifically by the following state agencies: 

  • Oklahoma Corporation Commission: provides funding to certain not-for-profit providers for telemedicine infrastructure upon successful completion of the application process.
  • Oklahoma Health Care Authority: provides for Medicaid reimbursement of telemedicine services work for certain conditions or specific services for SoonerCare members.
  • Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision (OBMLS) and Oklahoma State Board of Osteopathic Examiners: provide for licensure and supervision of licensed physicians for purposes of providing telemedicine services in Oklahoma. OBMLS also provides for licensure and supervision of physician assistants and physical therapists for purposes of providing telemedicine services in Oklahoma. OBMLS allows for the practice of telemedicine without a face-to-face consultation. To practice allopathic medicine in Oklahoma and do so only in telemedicine format, the physician must still obtain a license from the OBMLS prior to serving Oklahomans. The Oklahoma State Board of Osteopathic Examiners provides for a conditional license for practice of telemedicine in Oklahoma for osteopathic physicians.
Agency Partnerships:
  • The Oklahoma State Department of Health: provides telemedicine and distance learning resources and services to physicians, students, residents and faculty of Oklahoma State University and health care professionals involved in serving rural and underserved patients in Oklahoma. OSU has one of the state’s largest telemedicine networks connecting health care providers to rural and underserved patients. This medical lifeline provides patients in non-metropolitan areas with access to specialty health care. 
Academic Partners:
  • Oklahoma State University TeleHealth: provides telemedicine and distance learning resources and services to physicians, students, residents and faculty of Oklahoma State University and health care professionals involved in serving rural and underserved patients in Oklahoma. OSU has one of the state’s largest telemedicine networks connecting health care providers to rural and underserved patients. This medical lifeline provides patients in non-metropolitan areas with access to specialty health care.
  • The University of Oklahoma – OU Health: Physicians at OU Health in Oklahoma City and Tulsa are offering telehealth visits in 77 medical specialties for both adults and children, representing nearly every specialty available. Telehealth visits are available for both existing and new patients. More than 800 OU Health physicians and advanced practice providers are connecting with their patients across the state through telehealth. OU Health completed more than 60,000 virtual visits during the pandemic and is developing staffing models to integrate telehealth into clinic schedules.
  • The OSU Center for Health Sciences: launched Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) in Oklahoma, an innovative care model to bring specialty medicine to rural areas of Oklahoma. Created in 2003 by the University of New Mexico, Project ECHO operates more than 90 hubs worldwide covering more than 45 diseases and conditions. ECHO uses video conferencing to help rural areas access experts in various fields in order to provide better patient care. Unlike telemedicine where a single provider can see a patient, ECHO is a tool for multiple providers to collaborate and make recommendations regardless of where they’re based