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Senate Bill 670 |
Senate Author: Buckingham |
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Effective: 9-1-19 |
House Sponsor: Price et al. |
Senate Bill 670 amends the Government Code and Occupations Code to revise certain provisions applicable to the Health and Human Services Commission's (HHSC) reimbursement policy for telemedicine and telehealth services under Medicaid and Medicaid managed care, to eliminate the expiration date for Medicaid reimbursement for the provision of home telemonitoring services, and to specify that direct primary care, for purposes of the Medical Practice Act, includes telemedicine medical services and telehealth services that are provided using a technology platform. Among other provisions, the bill requires the executive commissioner of HHSC by rule to ensure that a federally qualified health center may be reimbursed for certain fees applicable to a covered telemedicine medical service or telehealth service delivered by a health care provider to a Medicaid recipient but provides that implementation of this requirement is mandatory only if a specific appropriation is made for that purpose. The bill provides that a telepharmacy system located at a federally qualified health center may be located in a community in which a Class A or Class C pharmacy is located.