Bill Text: TX HB1051 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to health benefit plan coverage of telemedicine, teledentistry, and telehealth services provided by only synchronous or asynchronous audio interaction.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [HB1051 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB1051-Introduced.html
89R3349 RDR-D | ||
By: Bhojani | H.B. No. 1051 |
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relating to health benefit plan coverage of telemedicine, | ||
teledentistry, and telehealth services provided by only | ||
synchronous or asynchronous audio interaction. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 1455.004(a), Insurance Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) A health benefit plan: | ||
(1) must provide coverage for a covered health care | ||
service or procedure delivered by a preferred or contracted health | ||
professional to a covered patient as a telemedicine medical | ||
service, teledentistry dental service, or telehealth service on the | ||
same basis and to the same extent that the plan provides coverage | ||
for the service or procedure in an in-person setting; and | ||
(2) may not: | ||
(A) exclude from coverage a covered health care | ||
service or procedure delivered by a preferred or contracted health | ||
professional to a covered patient as a telemedicine medical | ||
service, a teledentistry dental service, or a telehealth service | ||
solely because the covered health care service or procedure is not | ||
provided through an in-person consultation; and | ||
(B) [ |
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reduce coverage for a covered health care service or procedure | ||
delivered as a telemedicine medical service, teledentistry dental | ||
service, or telehealth service based on the health professional's | ||
choice of platform for delivering the service or procedure. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 1455.004(c), Insurance Code, is | ||
repealed. | ||
SECTION 3. The repeal of Section 1455.004(c), Insurance | ||
Code, by this Act, applies only to a health benefit plan delivered, | ||
issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. A | ||
health benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed | ||
before January 1, 2026, is governed by the law as it existed | ||
immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is | ||
continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |