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
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  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)  [subject to Subsection (c),] limit, deny, or
  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  repealed.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.
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