The Texas Department of Insurance has issued an emergency rule aimed at helping doctors across the state to continue treating patients during the crisis created by COVID-19, the disease stemming from the new coronavirus.
Gov. Greg Abbott waived certain telemedicine regulations and directed the TDI to issue the emergency rule. It requires insurers to pay the same amount for telemedicine services, including covered mental health services, as they do for in-person services. The rule applies to in-network services for state-regulated health plans.
Abbott has additionally suspended a state law limiting insurance coverage for medical visits and consultations by phone.
He also approved the Texas Medical Board’s (TMB) request to suspend state rules blocking the use of phone consultations to establish a physician-patient relationship. Before the change, telemedicine services could be provided only after the physician-patient relationship had been established during an in-person visit.
“This will help protect patients and our state’s health-care professionals while maintaining access to care,” Insurance Commissioner Kent Sullivan said in a media release. “We expect to see large-employer health plans and others not subject to state rules follow suit.”
State-regulated plans cover about 15% of the Texas market, including plans purchased through Healthcare.gov. The insurance cards for state-regulated plans have either “DOI” (for department of insurance) or “TDI” (Texas Department of Insurance) printed on them.
TDI’s order may be accessed here: https://www.tdi.texas.gov/rules/2020/documents/20206287.pdf.
Source: TDI
Topics Texas Legislation
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