Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3942 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1	By: Bhojani, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Blanco) H.B. No. 3942
2	2	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2023;
3	3	May 5, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Health &
4	4	Human Services; May 21, 2023, reported favorably by the following
5	5	vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 21, 2023, sent to printer.)
6	6	Click here to see the committee vote
7	7
8	8
9	9	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
10	10	AN ACT
11	11	relating to health benefit plan coverage of telemedicine,
12	12	teledentistry, and telehealth appointments with an originating
13	13	site or distant site located outside this state.
14	14	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
15	15	SECTION 1. Section 1455.001, Insurance Code, is amended by
16	16	amending Subdivision (1-a) and adding Subdivisions (1-b) and (1-c)
17	17	to read as follows:
18	18	(1-a) "Distant site" means the location where a health
19	19	professional provides a telemedicine medical service,
20	20	teledentistry dental service, or telehealth service.
21	21	(1-b) "Health professional" means:
22	22	(A) a physician;
23	23	(B) an individual who is:
24	24	(i) licensed or certified in this state to
25	25	perform health care services; and
26	26	(ii) authorized to assist:
27	27	(a) a physician in providing
28	28	telemedicine medical services that are delegated and supervised by
29	29	the physician; or
30	30	(b) a dentist in providing
31	31	teledentistry dental services that are delegated and supervised by
32	32	the dentist;
33	33	(C) a licensed or certified health professional
34	34	acting within the scope of the license or certification who does not
35	35	perform a telemedicine medical service or a teledentistry dental
36	36	service; or
37	37	(D) a dentist.
38	38	(1-c) "Originating site" means the location where an
39	39	individual receives a telemedicine medical service, teledentistry
40	40	dental service, or telehealth service.
41	41	SECTION 2. Section 1455.004, Insurance Code, is amended by
42	42	adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
43	43	(e) A health benefit plan must provide coverage for a
44	44	covered health care service or procedure delivered as a
45	45	telemedicine medical service, teledentistry dental service, or
46	46	telehealth service with an originating site or distant site located
47	47	outside this state on the same basis and to the same extent that the
48	48	plan provides coverage for the service or procedure delivered as a
49	49	telemedicine medical service, teledentistry dental service, or
50	50	telehealth service with an originating site and distant site
51	51	located in this state if:
52	52	(1) the individual who receives the service resides
53	53	primarily in this state; and
54	54	(2) the health professional who provides the service:
55	55	(A) is licensed or otherwise authorized to
56	56	provide the service in this state; and
57	57	(B) has a physical office in this state.
58	58	SECTION 3. Section 1455.004, Insurance Code, as amended by
59	59	this Act, applies only to a health benefit plan delivered, issued
60	60	for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2024. A health
61	61	benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed before
62	62	January 1, 2024, is governed by the law as it existed immediately
63	63	before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in
64	64	effect for that purpose.
65	65	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
66	66	* * * * *