Bill Text: TX HB3345 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to health benefit coverage provided by certain health benefit plans for telemedicine medical services and telehealth services.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 8-3)
Status: (Passed) 2019-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB3345 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB3345-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 3345 |
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relating to health benefit coverage provided by certain health | ||
benefit plans for telemedicine medical services and telehealth | ||
services. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 1455.001, Insurance Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subdivision (2-a) to read as follows: | ||
(2-a) "Platform" means the technology, system, | ||
software, application, modality, or other method through which a | ||
health professional remotely interfaces with a patient when | ||
providing a health care service or procedure as a telemedicine | ||
medical service or telehealth service. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 1455.004, Insurance Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (d) 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 | ||
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 | ||
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 or telehealth service | ||
based on the health professional's choice of platform for | ||
delivering the service or procedure. | ||
(b-1) Subsection (b) does not authorize a health benefit | ||
plan to charge a separate deductible that applies only to a covered | ||
health care service or procedure delivered as a telemedicine | ||
medical service or telehealth service. | ||
(d) A health benefit plan may not impose an annual or | ||
lifetime maximum on coverage for covered health care services or | ||
procedures delivered as telemedicine medical services or | ||
telehealth services other than the annual or lifetime maximum, if | ||
any, that applies in the aggregate to all items and services and | ||
procedures covered under the plan. | ||
SECTION 3. The changes to Section 1455.004, Insurance Code, | ||
as amended by this Act, apply only to a health benefit plan | ||
delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, | ||
2020. A health benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or | ||
renewed before January 1, 2020, 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, 2019. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 3345 was passed by the House on May 8, | ||
2019, by the following vote: Yeas 135, Nays 1, 2 present, not | ||
voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 3345 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
Date | ||
_____________________ | ||
Governor |