Sec. 531.02175. REIMBURSEMENT FOR ONLINE MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS. (a) In this section, "physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine in this state under Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code.

(b) Subject to the requirements of this subsection, the executive commissioner by rule may require the commission and each health and human services agency that administers a part of Medicaid to provide Medicaid reimbursement for a medical consultation that is provided by a physician or other health care professional using the Internet as a cost-effective alternative to an in-person consultation. The executive commissioner may require the commission or a health and human services agency to provide the reimbursement described by this subsection only if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services develop an appropriate Current Procedural Terminology code for medical services provided using the Internet.

(c) The executive commissioner may develop and implement a pilot program in one or more sites chosen by the executive commissioner under which Medicaid reimbursements are paid for medical consultations provided by physicians or other health care professionals using the Internet. The pilot program must be designed to test whether an Internet medical consultation is a cost-effective alternative to an in-person consultation under Medicaid. The executive commissioner may modify the pilot program as necessary throughout its implementation to maximize the potential cost-effectiveness of Internet medical consultations. If the executive commissioner determines from the pilot program that Internet medical consultations are cost-effective, the executive commissioner may expand the pilot program to additional sites or may implement Medicaid reimbursements for Internet medical consultations statewide.

(d) The executive commissioner is not required to implement the pilot program authorized under Subsection (c) as a prerequisite to providing Medicaid reimbursement authorized by Subsection (b) on a statewide basis.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 349 (S.B. 1188), Sec. 11(b), eff. September 1, 2005.

Amended by:

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 2.038, eff. April 2, 2015.