Maryland is expanding access to telehealth services for mental and behavioral health disorders. 

Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford said in a news conference Thursday that insurance carriers and Medicaid would be required to reimburse patients  for audio-only telehealth services under a measure they are sending to the General Assembly. 

The measure is an extension of Gov. Larry Hogan’s pandemic emergency order. 

“It's become clear that we need to keep these programs permanent,” Rutherford said. 

The measure would help patients who do not have video conferencing equipment or broadband service.

“The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the lives of Marylanders, particularly those struggling with mental and behavioral health disorders,” Rutherford said. 

The measure would increase access to counseling services for substance use disorders, which Rutherford said the pandemic has exacerbated.