District of Columbia good-faith exam for med spas

Good-faith examination in District of Columbia

The District permits the practitioner-patient relationship itself to be established through telehealth, but ties it to the standard of care and the practitioner’s competence and scope — and expressly reserves to the Mayor the power to add requirements for specific health professions, INCLUDING an initial in-person physical examination.

• A practitioner-patient or practitioner-client relationship may be established through telehealth in accordance with the appropriate standard of care and the practitioner’s competence and scope of practice; provided, that the Mayor may through rulemaking issue additional requirements for specific health professionals to establish a practitioner-client relationship, including an initial in-person physical examination.

  D.C. Code §3-1201.05(b) · verified Sep 3, 2026

• A health professional licensed, registered, or certified in the District may provide a telehealth service to a District resident or person located in the District if doing so is consistent with the applicable standard of care in the District and the health professional’s scope of authorized practice in the District, and not otherwise prohibited by law or regulation.

  D.C. Code §3-1201.05(a) · verified Sep 3, 2026

• A health professional who provides a telehealth service shall do so in a manner consistent with the standard of care applicable to a health professional who provides a comparable health care service in person in the District.

  D.C. Code §3-1201.05(c)(1) · verified Sep 3, 2026