Telehealth is a highly regulated field and legal issues can vary across payers, across states, and even across countries. Our global healthcare industry team continues to highlight how regions around the world have quickly adapted to providing telehealth services following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In China, the Chinese government has been actively promoting internet-based medicine, even before the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for telehealth services.
In July 2018, the National Health Committee and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine jointly issued the three fundamental rules that formed the basic legal framework of China’s internet-based medicine. According to the rules, internet-based medicine in mainland China is classified into three categories: internet-based diagnosis, internet hospitals, and telemedicine services. The Chinese government continues to adjust regulations on internet-based medicine as there are still many issues that have not yet been addressed under the existing legal framework.