Sec. 1455.004. COVERAGE FOR TELEMEDICINE MEDICAL SERVICES AND TELEHEALTH SERVICES. (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) A health benefit plan may require a deductible, a copayment, or coinsurance 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 a telehealth service. The amount of the deductible, copayment, or coinsurance may not exceed the amount of the deductible, copayment, or coinsurance required for the covered health care service or procedure provided through an in-person consultation.

(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.

(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a health benefit plan is not required to provide coverage for a telemedicine medical service or a telehealth service provided by only synchronous or asynchronous audio interaction, including:

(1) an audio-only telephone consultation;

(2) a text-only e-mail message; or

(3) a facsimile transmission.

(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.

Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1274, Sec. 3, eff. April 1, 2005.

Amended by:

Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 205 (S.B. 1107), Sec. 6, eff. January 1, 2018.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1174 (H.B. 3345), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2019.