Texas-regulated insurers must continue to pay for telemedicine services, including mental health visits, at the same rate as in-person visits through Sept. 12, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) said today.
TDI announced it is extending the requirement that was part of an emergency rule that has been in place since March. It was set to expire July 14.
Under the emergency rule, state-regulated health insurers and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) also must:
- Cover telemedicine services using any platform permitted by state law; and
- Not require more documentation for telemedicine services than they require for in-person services.
To make telemedicine available to more patients and their physicians during the emergency declaration period, many state and federal rules and regulations regarding telehealth, including a waiver for audio-only visits, have been relaxed temporarily.
In addition, commercial and government payers have issued waivers and policy changes to help physicians care for as many patients as possible.
If you would like more help understanding the changes and how to utilize telemedicine to care for your patients, the Texas Medical Association has created several tools and resources for you.
Listen to this webinar, Telemedicine During COVID-19, to learn telemedicine terminology and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services changes, such as what codes you can bill during this time. It is accredited for 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and 0.5 Ethics.
In addition, TMA’s Practice Viability Toolkit has a wealth of information and resources on telemedicine.
You can find more on TMA’s Telemedicine web page, Practice Viability web page, and COVID-19 Resource Center.
Last Updated On
May 04, 2021
Originally Published On
June 24, 2020