Telemedicine in Texas

Texas Laws and Regulations Relating to Telemedicine

The 85th Texas Legislature (2017) passed Senate Bill 1107, a bill that marks a significant shift in how physicians may provide telemedicine in Texas. This document describes the new Texas legal and regulatory requirements that apply to a physician providing telemedicine medical services.

Read the White Paper  

TMA Pushes to Increase Telemedicine Use in Medicaid

 

It’s time for Texas to hit the accelerator on fostering more telemedicine use in Medicaid, the Texas Medical Association and several other organizations are telling the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

Expedite the Use of CPT Codes for Telemedicine Services  

TMA Weighs in on Medicaid MCO's, Telemedicine Before Texas Legislature

 

Committees in both chambers of the Texas Legislature are studying complex issues throughout this year to prepare for the next legislative session in 2019. As the year progresses, we’re periodically looking at the health care-related issues lawmakers are tackling and how TMA is advocating for medicine on those fronts.

Capitol Matters  

Telemedicine and Digital Health: New Texas Law, Opportunities, and Challenges

Presented at the Texas Medical Association 2017 Fall Conference, Sept. 16, 2017, as the Philip R. Overton Annual Lectureship in Medicine and the Law.

TMA-Supported Bill Clarifies Murkiness Surrounding Telemedicine

 

Over the past several years, static has clouded the screen displaying telemedicine's proper role in health care as musings, arguments, and litigation created a need for real clarity. Now that TMA and other stakeholders put their collective heads together, the picture should clear up significantly. On May 27, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1107, which allows telemedicine practitioners in Texas to know their requirements when they serve patients via telephone or other audiovisual means.

Clearer and Simpler  

New Law Shapes the Future of Telemedicine in Texas

Texas physicians and telehealth providers are now playing by the same rules to treat patients by phone, computer, and other new technologies — the same as when physicians see patients face-to-face in a traditional doctor’s office visit. Senate Bill 1107, passed this session by the Texas Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in late May, clarifies the framework to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients remotely via telecommunication technology.

Patients Will Have More Access to Physicians  

Citing Telemedicine Law, FTC Drops TMB Antitrust Probe 

 

Following the passage of TMA-supported legislation governing telemedicine in Texas, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has closed an investigation into whether the Texas Medical Board (TMB) violated antitrust law, FTC said in a release.

What Led to the Investigation?  

TMA Testifies On Telemedicine

Telemedicine Bill Would Uphold Good Patient-Physician Relationship
Testimony by Thomas Kim, MD, MPH
House Bill 2697, March 28, 2017

Telemedicine Care Under Bill Would Match In-Person Medical Care Standards
Testimony Presented by Ray Callas, MD
 Senate Bill 1107, March 8, 2017

Improve Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues; Telemedicine Can Help
Interim Testimony Presented by Thomas J. Kim, MD, MPH
House Select Committee on Mental Health
April 27, 2016

Telehealth: A Skill to be Mastered and a System to Be Optimized
Testimony by Thomas J. Kim, MD, MPH
House Committee on Public Health
Feb. 10, 2016