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Senate Bill 1340 |
Senate Author: Madla |
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Effective: 9-1-05 |
House Sponsor: Delisi |
Senate Bill 1340 amends provisions of the Government Code to require the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to develop a pilot program to be implemented by the Department of State Health Services under which Medicaid recipients may receive mental health services through telehealth and telemedicine. Senate Bill 1340 also requires the executive commissioner to adopt minimum standards to permit the use of certain trained health professionals in presenting patients receiving Medicaid telemedicine services for consultation with a physician located at a distant site, provides for reimbursement under the Medicaid program to a physician for overseeing certain telemedicine consultations, and requires the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners to adopt rules to establish requirements for physicians supervising telepresenters. The bill requires the commission to conduct a study relating to the development of a network of telemedicine providers under Medicaid, the use and possible expansion of digital medical imaging in telemedicine, and the development of a system to reimburse physicians for certain telemedicine services.