Para enmendar los Artículos 2,4,5 y 6, y añadir un nuevo Artículo 13, y reenumerar los siguientes artículos de la Ley 168-2018, según enmendada, conocida como la "Ley para el Uso de la Telemedicina y la Telesalud en Puerto Rico ; para enmendar los Artículos 2,4 y 5 de la Ley 48-2020, según enmendada, conocida como la "Ley para Regular la Ciberterapia en Puerto Rico"; a los fines de establecer que cualquier médico o profesional de la salud con licencia vigente en Puerto Rico no requerirá una certificación para ejercer la Telemedicina, la Telesalud ni las profesiones afines a la Ciberterapia; para ordenar al Departamento de Salud y demás organismos rectores, la enmienda de los reglamentos correspondientes; y para otros fines relacionados.

2025-2028 Session

Puerto Rico eliminates telemedicine, telehealth, and cybertherapy certifications for licensed healthcare professionals, expanding remote healthcare access but removing specialized practice oversight.

Ley 8-2025

Legislative bill overview

Bill PC 396 eliminates certification requirements for licensed healthcare professionals in Puerto Rico to practice telemedicine, telehealth, and cybertherapy services. The law amends two existing regulations (Law 168-2018 on telemedicine/telehealth and Law 48-2020 on cybertherapy) and directs the Department of Health and other regulatory bodies to update their implementing regulations accordingly.

Why is this important

This removes a barrier to entry for remote healthcare delivery in Puerto Rico, potentially expanding access to medical and mental health services, particularly in rural or underserved areas. The change streamlines regulatory compliance for healthcare professionals already licensed in the territory, allowing faster deployment of telehealth services during emergencies or health crises.

Potential points of contention

Quality and patient safety concerns: Eliminating certification requirements may reduce oversight of remote practice standards, potentially affecting service quality without specialized telehealth training requirements

Professional liability and scope creep: Licensed professionals may practice outside their traditional expertise areas in remote settings without additional credentials that ensure competency in digital care delivery

Regulatory implementation uncertainty: The bill delegates specifics to the Department of Health without establishing clear alternative safeguards or standards, creating ambiguity about how quality will be monitored or disputes resolved