Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1782 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Cortez, Guillen, Fierro H.B. No. 1782
	1	+	86R4312 KKR-D
	2	+	By: Cortez, Guillen H.B. No. 1782
2	3
3	4
4	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	6		AN ACT
6	7		relating to a plan to increase the use of telemedicine medical
7		-	services, telehealth services, and interprofessional Internet
8		-	consultations in this state.
	8	+	services and telehealth services in this state.
9	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10		SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
11	11		amended by adding Section 531.021611 to read as follows:
12	12		Sec. 531.021611. ACTION PLAN TO EXPAND TELEMEDICINE MEDICAL
13	13		SERVICES AND TELEHEALTH SERVICES. (a) The commission shall
14	14		develop and implement an action plan to:
15	15		(1) expand the use of and increase access to
16	16		telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, and related
17	17		mobile applications for those services by health care providers for
18	18		the residents of this state; and
19	19		(2) increase the availability of critical medical care
20	20		and health care services to residents in this state in areas
21		-	determined by the commission to be medically underserved.
	21	+	determined by the commission to be medically underserved, including
	22	+	the border region and rural areas.
22	23		(b) In developing and implementing the action plan under
23	24		Subsection (a), the commission shall:
24		-	(1) evaluate, in collaboration with the Maternal
25		-	Mortality and Morbidity Task Force established under Chapter 34,
26		-	Health and Safety Code, and other interested persons, the use of
27		-	telemedicine medical services for women during pregnancy and the
28		-	postpartum period;
29		-	(2) seek the assistance of the Texas Hospital
30		-	Association, the Texas Medical Association, the Texas Nurses
31		-	Association, The University of Texas System Virtual Health Network,
32		-	teaching hospitals, and the statewide health coordinating council;
33		-	and
34		-	(3) consult with health care providers, advocacy
	25	+	(1) seek the assistance of the Texas Hospital
	26	+	Association, the Texas Medical Association, teaching hospitals,
	27	+	and the statewide health coordinating council; and
	28	+	(2) consult with health care providers, advocacy
35	29		groups, relevant federal agencies, and any other interested persons
36	30		the commission considers necessary to develop the action plan
37	31		required by this section.
38	32		(c) The action plan developed under Subsection (a) must
39	33		include:
40	34		(1) short-term and long-term plan recommendations,
41	35		including policy initiatives and reforms necessary to implement the
42	36		plan;
43	37		(2) statutory and administrative reforms necessary to
44	38		implement the plan; and
45	39		(3) options for the funding necessary to implement the
46	40		plan.
47	41		(d) The commission shall:
48	42		(1) not later than September 1, 2021:
49	43		(A) submit to the governor and the legislature
50	44		the recommendations, the statutory and administrative reforms, and
51	45		the funding options described in Subsection (c) and short-term and
52	46		long-term plans to implement those recommendations, reforms, and
53	47		options; and
54	48		(B) begin implementing the short-term plan;
55	49		(2) not later than September 1, 2023, fully implement
56	50		the short-term plan;
57	51		(3) not later than September 1, 2029, fully implement
58	52		the long-term plan; and
59	53		(4) include the short-term and long-term plans in the
60	54		update of the strategic plan for health and human services under
61		-	Section 531.022.
	55	+	Section 531.022, Government Code.
62	56		(e) This section expires September 1, 2030.
63		-	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
64		-	amended by adding Section 531.02166 to read as follows:
65		-	Sec. 531.02166. INTERPROFESSIONAL INTERNET CONSULTATIONS
66		-	PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Not later than September 1, 2021, and subject
67		-	to Subsection (e), the commission shall develop and implement a
68		-	pilot program through which the commission provides or contracts
69		-	with a third party to provide technical assistance to train
70		-	Medicaid providers regarding the use of interprofessional Internet
71		-	consultations for Medicaid recipients in rural and medically
72		-	underserved areas. The program must be designed to determine
73		-	whether the use of technology improves access to specialty care,
74		-	including pediatric, prenatal, postnatal, and behavioral health
75		-	services, for Medicaid recipients.
76		-	(b) The commission shall:
77		-	(1) implement the pilot program in:
78		-	(A) at least one:
79		-	(i) federally qualified health center;
80		-	(ii) municipal public health system;
81		-	(iii) clinic that is a member of a nonprofit
82		-	membership association that supports charitable clinics in this
83		-	state; and
84		-	(iv) rural community center; and
85		-	(B) a maximum of 20 health clinics; and
86		-	(2) ensure that a third party contracted to provide
87		-	technical assistance described under Subsection (a):
88		-	(A) has significant experience integrating
89		-	telehealth services, telemedicine medical services, and online
90		-	consultations with electronic health records; and
91		-	(B) has a current contract with the United States
92		-	Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and
93		-	Services Administration as a regional telehealth resource center.
94		-	(c) The commission shall examine cost avoidance that
95		-	results from providing telemedicine medical services to Medicaid
96		-	recipients in rural and medically underserved communities through
97		-	the pilot program, including cost avoidance that results from:
98		-	(1) reducing recipient wait times for specialty care
99		-	providers;
100		-	(2) improving access to specialty care;
101		-	(3) reducing the number of recipient referrals; and
102		-	(4) reducing the number of miles traveled by
103		-	recipients for specialty care consultations.
104		-	(d) Not later than December 31, 2022, the commission shall
105		-	report to the legislature regarding the status and results of the
106		-	pilot program and make recommendations regarding whether to
107		-	continue, expand, or terminate the program.
108		-	(e) The commission is required to implement this section
109		-	only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that
110		-	purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money
111		-	specifically for that purpose, the commission may, but is not
112		-	required to, implement this section using other appropriations
113		-	available for that purpose.
114		-	(f) This section expires September 1, 2023.
115		-	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
	57	+	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.