Bill Text: TX HB1782 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to a plan to increase the use of telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, and interprofessional Internet consultations in this state.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-13 - Referred to Health & Human Services [HB1782 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB1782-Engrossed.html
By: Cortez, Guillen, Fierro | H.B. No. 1782 |
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relating to a plan to increase the use of telemedicine medical | ||
services, telehealth services, and interprofessional Internet | ||
consultations in this state. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 531.021611 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 531.021611. ACTION PLAN TO EXPAND TELEMEDICINE MEDICAL | ||
SERVICES AND TELEHEALTH SERVICES. (a) The commission shall | ||
develop and implement an action plan to: | ||
(1) expand the use of and increase access to | ||
telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, and related | ||
mobile applications for those services by health care providers for | ||
the residents of this state; and | ||
(2) increase the availability of critical medical care | ||
and health care services to residents in this state in areas | ||
determined by the commission to be medically underserved. | ||
(b) In developing and implementing the action plan under | ||
Subsection (a), the commission shall: | ||
(1) evaluate, in collaboration with the Maternal | ||
Mortality and Morbidity Task Force established under Chapter 34, | ||
Health and Safety Code, and other interested persons, the use of | ||
telemedicine medical services for women during pregnancy and the | ||
postpartum period; | ||
(2) seek the assistance of the Texas Hospital | ||
Association, the Texas Medical Association, the Texas Nurses | ||
Association, The University of Texas System Virtual Health Network, | ||
teaching hospitals, and the statewide health coordinating council; | ||
and | ||
(3) consult with health care providers, advocacy | ||
groups, relevant federal agencies, and any other interested persons | ||
the commission considers necessary to develop the action plan | ||
required by this section. | ||
(c) The action plan developed under Subsection (a) must | ||
include: | ||
(1) short-term and long-term plan recommendations, | ||
including policy initiatives and reforms necessary to implement the | ||
plan; | ||
(2) statutory and administrative reforms necessary to | ||
implement the plan; and | ||
(3) options for the funding necessary to implement the | ||
plan. | ||
(d) The commission shall: | ||
(1) not later than September 1, 2021: | ||
(A) submit to the governor and the legislature | ||
the recommendations, the statutory and administrative reforms, and | ||
the funding options described in Subsection (c) and short-term and | ||
long-term plans to implement those recommendations, reforms, and | ||
options; and | ||
(B) begin implementing the short-term plan; | ||
(2) not later than September 1, 2023, fully implement | ||
the short-term plan; | ||
(3) not later than September 1, 2029, fully implement | ||
the long-term plan; and | ||
(4) include the short-term and long-term plans in the | ||
update of the strategic plan for health and human services under | ||
Section 531.022. | ||
(e) This section expires September 1, 2030. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 531.02166 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 531.02166. INTERPROFESSIONAL INTERNET CONSULTATIONS | ||
PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Not later than September 1, 2021, and subject | ||
to Subsection (e), the commission shall develop and implement a | ||
pilot program through which the commission provides or contracts | ||
with a third party to provide technical assistance to train | ||
Medicaid providers regarding the use of interprofessional Internet | ||
consultations for Medicaid recipients in rural and medically | ||
underserved areas. The program must be designed to determine | ||
whether the use of technology improves access to specialty care, | ||
including pediatric, prenatal, postnatal, and behavioral health | ||
services, for Medicaid recipients. | ||
(b) The commission shall: | ||
(1) implement the pilot program in: | ||
(A) at least one: | ||
(i) federally qualified health center; | ||
(ii) municipal public health system; | ||
(iii) clinic that is a member of a nonprofit | ||
membership association that supports charitable clinics in this | ||
state; and | ||
(iv) rural community center; and | ||
(B) a maximum of 20 health clinics; and | ||
(2) ensure that a third party contracted to provide | ||
technical assistance described under Subsection (a): | ||
(A) has significant experience integrating | ||
telehealth services, telemedicine medical services, and online | ||
consultations with electronic health records; and | ||
(B) has a current contract with the United States | ||
Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and | ||
Services Administration as a regional telehealth resource center. | ||
(c) The commission shall examine cost avoidance that | ||
results from providing telemedicine medical services to Medicaid | ||
recipients in rural and medically underserved communities through | ||
the pilot program, including cost avoidance that results from: | ||
(1) reducing recipient wait times for specialty care | ||
providers; | ||
(2) improving access to specialty care; | ||
(3) reducing the number of recipient referrals; and | ||
(4) reducing the number of miles traveled by | ||
recipients for specialty care consultations. | ||
(d) Not later than December 31, 2022, the commission shall | ||
report to the legislature regarding the status and results of the | ||
pilot program and make recommendations regarding whether to | ||
continue, expand, or terminate the program. | ||
(e) The commission is required to implement this section | ||
only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that | ||
purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money | ||
specifically for that purpose, the commission may, but is not | ||
required to, implement this section using other appropriations | ||
available for that purpose. | ||
(f) This section expires September 1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |