| 1 | 1 | | 89R3349 RDR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Bhojani H.B. No. 1051 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to health benefit plan coverage of telemedicine, |
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| 10 | 10 | | teledentistry, and telehealth services provided by only |
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| 11 | 11 | | synchronous or asynchronous audio interaction. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Section 1455.004(a), Insurance Code, is amended |
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| 14 | 14 | | to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (a) A health benefit plan: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) must provide coverage for a covered health care |
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| 17 | 17 | | service or procedure delivered by a preferred or contracted health |
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| 18 | 18 | | professional to a covered patient as a telemedicine medical |
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| 19 | 19 | | service, teledentistry dental service, or telehealth service on the |
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| 20 | 20 | | same basis and to the same extent that the plan provides coverage |
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| 21 | 21 | | for the service or procedure in an in-person setting; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) may not: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (A) exclude from coverage a covered health care |
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| 24 | 24 | | service or procedure delivered by a preferred or contracted health |
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| 25 | 25 | | professional to a covered patient as a telemedicine medical |
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| 26 | 26 | | service, a teledentistry dental service, or a telehealth service |
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| 27 | 27 | | solely because the covered health care service or procedure is not |
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| 28 | 28 | | provided through an in-person consultation; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | (B) [subject to Subsection (c),] limit, deny, or |
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| 30 | 30 | | reduce coverage for a covered health care service or procedure |
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| 31 | 31 | | delivered as a telemedicine medical service, teledentistry dental |
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| 32 | 32 | | service, or telehealth service based on the health professional's |
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| 33 | 33 | | choice of platform for delivering the service or procedure. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. Section 1455.004(c), Insurance Code, is |
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| 35 | 35 | | repealed. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. The repeal of Section 1455.004(c), Insurance |
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| 37 | 37 | | Code, by this Act, applies only to a health benefit plan delivered, |
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| 38 | 38 | | issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. A |
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| 39 | 39 | | health benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed |
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| 40 | 40 | | before January 1, 2026, is governed by the law as it existed |
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| 41 | 41 | | immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is |
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| 42 | 42 | | continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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