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Table of Contents
Telemental/Telehealth Regulation in Maine

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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I. What are the licensure requirements in Maine for telehealth mental health care?

There are no specific Maine licensure requirements to deliver telemedicine or telemental health services. If a health care provider or mental health professional or counselor is licensed in their specific profession and in good standing, they can practice telemedicine. All that’s required is that these physicians, nurses, or counselors only practice within the boundaries of their competence.

Requirements for out-of-state treatments

Maine is a member of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), making it easier for out-of-state physicians to treat patients in Maine. These physicians can provide consultative services if requested by a Maine health care provider. Their licenses need to be in good standing in their home state, and they can’t open an office in Maine. They also need to register with the Maine Medical Board every two years.

Emergency licensure

Under an executive order issued by Maine Gov. Janet Mills on April 6, 2020, physicians, physicians assistants, and nurses licensed in other states who are in good standing can receive an emergency license to provide telemedicine to patients in Maine with no application fee. This license will remain in effect until the executive order is rescinded. Out-of-state physicians who are already licensed in Maine will have their licenses automatically renewed during the COVID-19 crisis.

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II. What are the online prescribing regulations in Maine?

In most cases, Maine health care providers can prescribe medications for you with some restrictions. Providers must first collect your full medical history and, when medically necessary, perform a complete physical examination.

Currently, under Gov. Mills emergency order, you don’t need to see a provider to receive prescriptions. Medicine can be prescribed via audio or video telemedicine appointments.

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III. What are other common telehealth restrictions in Maine?

Maine has few restrictions on telemedicine, but it does require health care providers to receive your consent before initiating any telemental or telehealth service. Maine also has a parity law, which requires private health insurers and Medicaid to reimburse health care providers for telehealth visits at the same rate as in-person visits.

Types of telehealth services allowed

Store-and-forward telehealth transmissions of digital records are permitted for physicians and their established patients. You can also use your phone for a telehealth visit if you live in a remote area or don’t have a good internet connection. Additionally, physicians may use telemedicine for remote patient monitoring, which may or may not happen in real-time. There are no restrictions on locations to receive telemedicine.

Types of providers allowed to offer telehealth services

No health care provider in Maine is restricted from using telemedicine. However, they must be licensed with the appropriate professional board, up-to-date in the payment of professional fees and in good standing.

Emergency allowances

Under the executive order signed by Gov. Mills, the few restrictions on the use of telehealth and telemental health care in Maine have been removed, and her order gives greater flexibility to doctors, their assistants, and nurses to use telemedicine. The order also removes restrictions on out-of-state physicians’ ability to treat Maine patients.

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IV. Telehealth provider resources in Maine

Maine has numerous resources that you can use to find out more about telehealth and telemental health services in the state and if it’s appropriate for you. If you’d like to learn more about telemedicine in Maine, we suggest checking the following sources.

MaineHealth — Telehealth

MaineHealth is a large network of health care organizations and providers that primarily serve south and southwestern Maine and some areas of northern New Hampshire. However, the information it provides on its telehealth page is useful for any resident of Maine who wants to know more about telehealth. It outlines the services you can receive via telehealth in Maine, privacy concerns, how you sign up for telemedicine and how MaineCare pays for the services. It also provides a link to download Zoom for telemedicine visits and any forms needed to provide consent.

Contact Information: Website | 207-661-7001

Center for Connected Health Policy — Maine

The Center for Connected Health Care Policy is your one-stop-shop for information on non-pandemic telemedicine regulations across the United States, including in Maine. It provides outlines for every important feature of telemedicine in the state.

Contact Information: Website | (877) 707-7172

Northeast Telehealth Resource Center

The center holds office hours every second Thursday, specifically for Maine, during which you or your health care provider can call with questions about telemedicine regulations, policies, or reimbursement. You can even download a reminder to your Google, Outlook or Yahoo calendar. The center also provides important information on store-and-forward or remote patient monitoring, which you may not be as familiar with as other aspects of telemedicine.

Contact Information: Website | 800-379-2021

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author-img
Caitlin Kingston
LCSW

Caitlin Kingston is a licensed clinical social worker at Yale New Haven Hospital and has worked in the field since 2013. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Penn State University and her Master of Social Work, clinical/medical social work in 2020 from Fordham University. Her licenses and certifications include LCSW, LMSW, and CASAC.

Kingston has always had a passion for helping others and knew early on that she wanted to support others in her profession. During her undergraduate studies at Penn State, she met a social worker who inspired her to pursue a career as a therapist. She’s also trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with the New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Kingston completed internships working in an after-school program with underprivileged youth and their families and with inmates in the high-security sector of Rikers Island jail.

Kingston’s career has included work at a drug treatment center, where she became the supervisor of intake and assessment for individuals with alcohol and substance use disorders. Today, she’s a social worker in the Psychiatric Observation Unit of the emergency department. Kingston is also trained in perinatal mental health with a focus on helping new mothers adjust to motherhood, especially in these very difficult times of isolation.

author-img
Caitlin Kingston
LCSW

Caitlin Kingston is a licensed clinical social worker at Yale New Haven Hospital and has worked in the field since 2013. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Penn State University and her Master of Social Work, clinical/medical social work in 2020 from Fordham University. Her licenses and certifications include LCSW, LMSW, and CASAC.

Kingston has always had a passion for helping others and knew early on that she wanted to support others in her profession. During her undergraduate studies at Penn State, she met a social worker who inspired her to pursue a career as a therapist. She’s also trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with the New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Kingston completed internships working in an after-school program with underprivileged youth and their families and with inmates in the high-security sector of Rikers Island jail.

Kingston’s career has included work at a drug treatment center, where she became the supervisor of intake and assessment for individuals with alcohol and substance use disorders. Today, she’s a social worker in the Psychiatric Observation Unit of the emergency department. Kingston is also trained in perinatal mental health with a focus on helping new mothers adjust to motherhood, especially in these very difficult times of isolation.

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V. Sources

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