By Maxey                                        H.B. No. 2017

      75R3735 CLG-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to telemedicine services provided under the Medicaid and

 1-3     Medicare programs.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding  Section 531.0215 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 531.0215.  REIMBURSEMENT OF TELEMEDICINE SERVICE

 1-8     PROVIDERS UNDER MEDICAID.  (a)  The  commission by rule shall

 1-9     develop and implement a system to reimburse providers of services

1-10     under the state Medicaid program for services performed using

1-11     telemedicine.

1-12           (b)  In developing the system, the commission shall:

1-13                 (1)  review programs and pilot projects in other states

1-14     to determine the most effective method for reimbursement;

1-15                 (2)  establish billing codes and a fee schedule for

1-16     services;

1-17                 (3)  provide for an approval process before a provider

1-18     can receive reimbursement for services;

1-19                 (4)  establish a state network of telemedicine service

1-20     providers to ensure that state-owned health care facilities and

1-21     teaching hospitals are the primary providers and that  telemedicine

1-22     service providers participating in the health care delivery system

1-23     provide quality health care services; and

1-24                 (5)  work in conjunction with the Telecommunications

 2-1     Infrastructure Fund Board to ensure that small rural hospitals

 2-2     benefit from telemedicine.

 2-3           (c)  In this section, "telemedicine" has the meaning assigned

 2-4     by Section 3.606, Public Utility Regulatory Act of 1995 (Article

 2-5     1446c-0, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes).

 2-6           SECTION 2.  As soon as practicable after the effective date

 2-7     of this Act, Texas Tech University, with the cooperation of the

 2-8     Health and Human Services Commission, shall contact the Health Care

 2-9     Financing Administration regarding approval of the federal waiver

2-10     submitted before the effective date of this Act to allow Texas Tech

2-11     University to receive reimbursement under the federal research and

2-12     demonstration project for telemedicine services provided under the

2-13     Medicare program.

2-14           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-19     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-20     passage, and it is so enacted.