State Policy Network
Arkansas allows doctors to start a relationship with patient remotely

As the coronavirus spread, Arkansas Policy Foundation urged state leaders to allow patients to seek medical expertise through telemedicine. Arkansas’s governor has issued nine executive orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of those executive orders suspends provisions of Arkansas’ Telemedicine Act, which required a face-to-face meeting to establish a doctor-patient relationship.

The executive order removes this requirement, allowing doctors to start a relationship with a patient remotely. This reform will help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and improve access to care for all Arkansas citizens.