The bill would require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to ensure a rural health clinic may be reimbursed for the originating site facility fee or the distant site practitioner fee or both, for a covered telemedicine medical service or telehealth service delivered by a health care provider to a Medicaid recipient.
The bill would require HHSC, by January 1, 2022, to implement reimbursement for telemedicine and telehealth services for several programs, benefits, and services, including: Children with Special Health Care Needs; Early Childhood Intervention; School Health and Related Services; physical, occupational, and speech therapy; targeted case management; nutritional counseling services; Texas Health Steps checkups; Medicaid 1915(c) waiver programs; and any other program, benefit, or service HHSC determines to be cost and clinically effective.
The bill would require HHSC to implement audio-only benefits for behavioral health services and allow HHSC to implement audio-only benefits for other services.
The bill would allow Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) to reimburse for home telemonitoring services not specifically defined in Government Code Section 531.02164.
The bill would require HHSC to implement policies and procedures to allow Medicaid MCOs to conduct assessment and service coordination activities for members receiving home and community-based services through telecommunication or information technology in certain circumstances.
It is unknown how these changes will impact service utilization.
It is assumed that costs associated with rulemaking, and development of any state plan amendments or waivers could be absorbed within existing agency resources.
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.