The Noble Institution is dedicated to staying on top of new developments in the constantly evolving healthcare industry. In the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most important developments is the expansion of telehealth, the delivery of healthcare services via video calls or other types of telecommunication technology.
With so many people feeling safer at home because of the pandemic, telehealth has rapidly become one of the leading ways to access healthcare. In this blog post from the Noble Institution, we’ll talk a little about telehealth in Texas, where the regulations may differ somewhat from other states.
Telehealth & Texas
The first thing you need to understand about telehealth & Texas is that Texas distinguishes between “telehealth” and “telemedicine”. Under Texas Medicaid regulations, services that require assessment by a medical provider, diagnosis, and treatment fall under the heading of telemedicine, while all other services are considered telehealth. In effect, this means that some services that would be considered telehealth in other states are referred to as telemedicine in Texas. Under the state’s telemedicine parity law, insurers are required to cover telemedicine as if it was an in-person office visit.
Eligible Providers and Services
Professionals authorized to provide telemedicine or telehealth services in the state include physicians, certified nutrition specialists, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, dieticians, counselors, therapists, social workers, and psychologists.
Telemedicine and telehealth services covered by Medicaid include consultations, outpatient visits, psychiatric diagnostic interviews, pharmacologic management, psychotherapy, data transmission, diabetes management, and hypertension management.
Changes Due to COVID-19
Telehealth in Texas has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a number of regulatory changes designed to allow the state to adapt to the disease effectively. For example, HIPAA privacy restrictions have been waived to allow patients to meet with their doctors via FaceTime or Skype, and physicians can receive equivalent payments for both telehealth and in-person visits through plans regulated by the state’s Department of Insurance. The Texas Medical Association has a page of COVID-19 resources, including up-to-date information on telehealth & Texas.
For access to telemedicine and telehealth in Texas, contact The Noble Institution at 1-833-645-1535 or simply schedule an appointment on our website. The Noble Institution will get you an appointment within 48 hours!
