Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1066 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R3333 KKR-F
2	2	By: Bhojani H.B. No. 1066
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to conducting certain medical examinations using
10	10	telehealth services and telemedicine medical services under the
11	11	workers' compensation system.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Section 408.0041, Labor Code, is amended by
14	14	adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:
15	15	(d-1) In this subsection, "telehealth service" and
16	16	"telemedicine medical service" have the meanings assigned by
17	17	Section 111.001, Occupations Code. The commissioner may order an
18	18	examination under this section to be conducted using telehealth
19	19	services or telemedicine medical services if the commissioner
20	20	determines conducting the examination in that manner is necessary
21	21	to ensure access to a timely examination by a qualified doctor.
22	22	During an examination conducted using telehealth services or
23	23	telemedicine medical services under this subsection, a health care
24	24	professional must be physically present in the room in which the
25	25	employee is located to assist in conducting the examination and
26	26	administering any necessary testing. The commissioner may adopt
27	27	rules related to examinations performed using telehealth services
28	28	or telemedicine medical services under this subsection.
29	29	SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 408, Labor Code, is
30	30	amended by adding Section 408.1231 to read as follows:
31	31	Sec. 408.1231. CONDUCTING CERTAIN MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
32	32	USING TELEHEALTH SERVICES OR TELEMEDICINE MEDICAL SERVICES. (a)
33	33	In this section, "telehealth service" and "telemedicine medical
34	34	service" have the meanings assigned by Section 111.001, Occupations
35	35	Code.
36	36	(b) The employee's treating doctor or another doctor
37	37	authorized by the division to certify maximum medical improvement
38	38	or assign an impairment rating under Section 408.123 may certify
39	39	maximum medical improvement or assign an impairment rating during a
40	40	medical examination performed by the doctor using telehealth
41	41	services or telemedicine medical services if:
42	42	(1) the examination is of a musculoskeletal injury or
43	43	diagnosis involving:
44	44	(A) the hand or upper extremities;
45	45	(B) the foot, including toes and heel; or
46	46	(C) the spine and musculoskeletal structures of
47	47	the torso; or
48	48	(2) the commissioner determines there is good cause to
49	49	conduct the examination using telehealth services or telemedicine
50	50	medical services.
51	51	(c) During an examination conducted using telehealth
52	52	services or telemedicine medical services under Subsection (b), a
53	53	health care professional must be physically present in the room in
54	54	which the employee is located to assist in conducting the
55	55	examination and administering any necessary testing unless a
56	56	doctor:
57	57	(1) determined that the employee is not at maximum
58	58	medical improvement; or
59	59	(2) certified maximum medical improvement during an
60	60	examination and based on the examination concluded there was no
61	61	possibility of impairment.
62	62	(d) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
63	63	implement this section.
64	64	SECTION 3. Section 408.0041, Labor Code, as amended by this
65	65	Act, and Section 408.1231, Labor Code, as added by this Act, apply
66	66	only to a medical examination conducted on or after the effective
67	67	date of this Act. A medical examination conducted before that date
68	68	is governed by the law in effect on the date the examination was
69	69	conducted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
70	70	purpose.
71	71	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.