Practice of medicine; provide for use of HIPAA-compliant telecommunications systems and practice of obesity medicine.

SB 2554 would update Mississippi law to explicitly include "obesity medicine" as part of the "practice of medicine," allowing physicians certified in this specialty to treat obesity. It expands telemedicine rules to permit remote consultations using HIPAA-compliant technology (including video, apps, or store-and-forward systems) for obesity care. The bill specifically permits these physicians to prescribe weight-loss medications like GLP-1 therapeutics (e.g., Wegovy) via telehealth under defined conditions. This would directly affect obesity medicine providers and patients seeking remote treatment for obesity-related conditions.