BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1052

By: Bhojani

Insurance

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that the restriction on out-of-state providers of telemedicine has hindered its full potential for Texas residents. H.B. 1052 seeks to address this gap by ensuring that Texans have access through their health benefit plans to telemedicine, teledentistry, and telehealth services provided by distant providers, so long as the provider has a physical office in Texas.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1052 amends the Insurance Code to require a health benefit plan to provide coverage for a covered health care service or procedure delivered as a telemedicine medical service, teledentistry dental service, or telehealth service with an originating site or distant site located outside Texas on the same basis and to the same extent that the plan provides coverage for the service or procedure delivered as a telemedicine medical service, teledentistry dental service, or telehealth service with an originating site and distant site located in Texas if the following conditions are satisfied:

· the individual who receives the service resides primarily in Texas; and

· the health professional who provides the service is licensed or otherwise authorized to provide the service in Texas and has a physical office in Texas.

H.B. 1052 defines "originating site" as the location where an individual receives a telemedicine medical service, teledentistry dental service, or telehealth service and "distant site" as the location where a health professional provides such a service. The bill applies only to a health benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. A health benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed before January 1, 2026, is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the bill's effective date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.