What does the telemedicine law in Puerto Rico say? Law 168-2018 and Law 8-2025

Yes. Law 168 of August 1, 2018, the "Ley para el Uso de Telemedicina en Puerto Rico", recognizes the practice of medicine at a distance: diagnosis, treatment and education through technology, with real-time interaction between a doctor and a patient in different places.

The law also requires records to meet health-information confidentiality rules. Our visits are real-time video and are not recorded: we send you a secure video link, and it works on your phone, tablet or computer.

Law 8-2025, approved on April 11, 2025, amended Law 168-2018. The main change: any doctor or health professional authorized to practice in Puerto Rico can offer telemedicine without an additional certification.

Doctors licensed only outside Puerto Rico still need the Department of Health's telemedicine certification.

Law 8-2025 also amended Article 13 of Law 168-2018: insurers and ASES (the Puerto Rico Health Insurance Administration) must pay for telemedicine services as if they were in-person services.

Article 10 of Law 168-2018 requires every patient to sign an informed-consent form before receiving telemedicine. You can decline telemedicine without losing access to other medical care, and you can change your mind at any time.

The Department of Health's Regulation 9518 (telehealth) adds detail: consent explains the confidentiality risks of the technology, and for minors it is authorized in writing by a parent with patria potestad (parental authority) or a legal guardian. The same regulation prohibits recording visits. See our telehealth consent.

You must be in Puerto Rico. One of the Department of Health's published requirements is that the doctor be licensed where the patient is located. Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD is licensed to practice medicine in Puerto Rico, so she sees you while you are on the island, and visitors are welcome. We confirm your location at the start of the visit; if it can't be confirmed, the visit doesn't go ahead and you get a full refund.

Under 21 means a parent or guardian on camera. If the patient is under 21, a parent with patria potestad or a legal guardian signs the consent, stays on the video for the whole visit and shows photo ID.

No. If you are in Florida, New York or any other state, you need a doctor licensed there. That is true even if you live in Puerto Rico and are only traveling, and even if you have seen us before.

The reverse does work: if you live on the mainland and are visiting Puerto Rico, we can see you while you are here. See sick on vacation in Puerto Rico.

It depends on whether the doctor who sees you is licensed in Puerto Rico or holds the certification the law requires. Before you use any telehealth service, ask who will treat you and check their license on the Puerto Rico medical board's lookup. Our guide shows how to verify a doctor's license in Puerto Rico.

We evaluate, diagnose and treat; if needed, we give you a lab order for a lab near you. If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy. We do not prescribe controlled substances. We see adults and children of all ages, in English or Spanish, including virtual urgent care for problems that are not emergencies. In an emergency, call 911.

Request a visit online 24/7 — we confirm your time by email or text. Start with an online doctor visit or read how it works.

Law 8-2025 allows telemedicine to be billed to insurers and ASES. We do not bill insurance: you pay by card when you request the visit, with no membership. A doctor visit is US$79, a follow-up visit US$49 and school and work forms US$35; see pricing. On request, we give you an itemized receipt (superbill) to claim from your plan yourself, and there is more in does Medicare work in Puerto Rico?.

This guide summarizes public legal texts to help patients. It is not legal advice. For a specific situation, talk to a lawyer or the Puerto Rico Department of Health. The full texts are linked in the sources, and they are in Spanish.