The bill would allow the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE), in consultation with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), to adopt rules related to the practice of teledentistry.
The bill would require TSBDE and the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) to adopt rules to determine a valid teledentistry prescription and publish frequently asked questions relating to a valid prescription on each respective agency website. The bill would also require TSBDE to adopt rules to establish limits on the quantity of a controlled substance that a dentist may prescribe as a teledentistry dental service and rules governing a call coverage agreement between dentists.
The bill would require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to establish policies that permit reimbursement under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for services provided through teledentistry dental services.
The bill would require Medicaid reimbursement for teledentistry dental services to be the same rate as the Medicaid program reimburses for the same in-person dental service.
It is unknown how the addition of coverage of teledentistry dental services to Medicaid and CHIP will impact service utilization.
It is assumed that any costs to TSBDE, TDI, TSBP, the Employees Retirement System, Texas A&M University System Administration, and the University of Texas System Administration to implement the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
It is assumed that any costs to HHSC associated with rulemaking, and development of any state plan amendments or waivers could be absorbed within existing agency resources.