Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed legislation both expanding telehealth and remote patient monitoring and extending broadband services into law.
Abbott’s signature on House Bill 4 and 5 adds Texas to a list of more than 20 states have permanently expanded telehealth coverage and access past the COVID-19 pandemic, according to mHealthInsurance.
“I am proud to have signed laws that increase high speed internet access & expand telehealth services throughout Texas,” Abbott tweeted on July 15.
Texas State Rep. Four Price, a sponsor of HB 4 and HB 5, also praised the impact of the legislation.
“Whether you’re a rural health clinic, FQHC, a private provider, Medicaid, we really extended the benefits of telehealth and telemedicine through this bill and through bills we’ve previously passed,” Price said while speaking to local news outlets following the signing.
Price also specifically discussed the industries that could be affected by expanded broadband.
“With expanded broadband across the entire state, we will see better use of the technology to access so many things that we do every single day,” Price said. “Job training, commerce, education, healthcare, these are just a few of the things that we rely on reliable internet access for really to conduct the business every single day.”
House Bill 4 relates “to the provision and delivery of certain health care services in this state, including services under Medicaid and other public benefits programs, using telecommunications or information technology and to reimbursement for some of those services.” It also expands broadband services to certain areas that do not receive coverage.
HB 5 expands the Broadband Development Office, which is responsible for keeping track of broadband expansion in Texas. The Broadband Development Office’s role is to identify communities without internet access and work to remedy that problem.
