Why the telehealth page is a compliance page
A practice usually writes its telehealth page as a convenience pitch: no commute, no waiting room, book from your couch. Patients like that. The trouble is that the page also answers three questions with legal weight, whether it means to or not. Can this practitioner treat me in my state? Is this call private? Who pays? Leave them out and you invite a booking you cannot legally keep.
Which states can you see patients in?
The federal telehealth site run by HHS is direct about the rule: health professionals "must meet the licensure requirements of the state where they are located and be licensed or legally permitted to practice in the state where the patient is located."1 Its page on licensure compacts puts it even more simply: a telehealth appointment "occurs in the state where the patient is located at the time of the appointment."3
So a chiropractor licensed only in New Jersey generally cannot run a telehealth visit with a patient sitting in Pennsylvania, unless one of the routes below applies. The same HHS guidance lists the routes a practitioner can use to work across state lines: a full license in the other state, temporary practice laws that some states have for existing patients who are travelling, reciprocity between some bordering states, a licensure compact, or a telehealth registration where a state offers one.2
HHS also gives a practical tip that belongs in your intake flow and on the page: before an appointment, providers should verify patient location and obtain consent.2 A line on the booking page that asks "Where will you be during the visit?" does both jobs.
Do compacts solve this?
For some professions, partly. The HHS compact page lists compacts for physicians, nurses, audiologists and speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists and EMS personnel.3 The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact describes itself as "a voluntary, expedited pathway to licensure for qualified physicians who wish to practice in multiple states." It reports 44 member states plus 2 U.S. territories as of August 31, 2026.4
Read that carefully. The physician compact speeds up getting a license in each state. The physician still holds a separate license in each one, and your page should list them. The HHS compact list does not include chiropractors, acupuncturists or naturopathic doctors, so for most of the practices we work with, each extra state means an extra license or no telehealth there.3
Health coaches and nutrition coaches who hold no clinical license are in a different position, and the rules vary by state and by what the session includes. If that is your practice, describe the service as what it is, and say plainly that it is not medical care.
| Statement on the page | Why it is needed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| States each practitioner can see patients in | The visit happens where the patient is located | HHS licensure guidance13 |
| A request to confirm the patient’s location at booking | HHS advises verifying location and consent first | HHS2 |
| The platform used and that it is covered by a business associate agreement | Required for covered providers since the 2023 transition ended | HHS OCR56 |
| What happens if the call fails or an emergency comes up | Patients need a plan they can act on | Practice policy |
| Whether Medicare or insurance applies, and to which services | Coverage differs by payer and service | Medicare.gov7 |
| What telehealth cannot replace, such as hands-on care | Prevents a patient booking the wrong visit type | Practice policy |
How to describe privacy without overclaiming
During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the HHS Office for Civil Rights relaxed HIPAA enforcement for telehealth through notifications of enforcement discretion. Those notifications expired on May 11, 2023, and the 90-day transition period ended on August 9, 2023.6 The HHS telehealth site now states that covered providers "must use technology vendors that comply with the HIPAA Rules and will enter into HIPAA business associate agreements" for their video and remote communication tools.5
On the page, that becomes one or two factual sentences: which platform you use, that it is covered by a business associate agreement, and that sessions are not recorded unless the patient agrees, if that is true. Avoid phrases like "100% secure" or "fully HIPAA certified". Each is a promise you cannot substantiate, and a patient reads it as a guarantee. The FTC side of claim substantiation is covered in health claims on a practice website.
How to talk about Medicare and insurance
Medicare.gov currently says that Part B covers certain telehealth services and that "through December 31, 2027, Medicare covers telehealth services that you can get from anywhere in the U.S., including your home."7 After the Part B deductible, the patient pays 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount, and for most telehealth services that is the same amount they would pay in person.7
That does not mean every telehealth visit at your practice is covered. Coverage depends on the service, the type of practitioner and whether you bill Medicare at all. If your practice is cash-pay or has opted out of Medicare, say so on the telehealth page in the same words you use elsewhere. Coverage end dates like December 31, 2027 can change, so put a "last reviewed" date near the coverage paragraph and check it each quarter.
A telehealth page structure that works
- One sentence on what telehealth visits at your practice are for, and one on what they are not for.
- A plain list of practitioners with the states each is licensed in.
- How to book, including the location question.
- The platform, the business associate agreement, and what you do and do not record.
- Cost and coverage, with a last reviewed date.
- What to do in an emergency: call 911, not the practice.
Mark it up so the facts are machine-readable as well, as described in schema markup for a health practice, and keep the state list identical to what your Google Business Profile and directory listings say.
If you want your telehealth page, booking flow and platform wording checked together, that is part of a technical and compliance rebuild. This post explains federal guidance as published. It is not legal advice, and licensure questions belong with your state board or a healthcare attorney.