Telemedicine refers to medical care provided remotely through the use of technology. Health care providers are increasingly using telephones, audiovisual platforms, smartphone applications, and other technologies to assess, monitor, diagnose, and even treat their patients remotely. Innovation in the field of telemedicine advances so rapidly year after year that attempts to regulate the industry often fail to remain relevant, even in the short-term.In the 85th Legislature, Texas fundamentally changed the way it defined and regulated telemedicine. SB 1107 broadened the definition of telemedicine to include more accessible telecommunication technologies, such as phone calls and faxes. It also lifted the Texas Medical Board’s (TMB) blanket requirement on practitioners to complete an in-person consultation prior to providing telemedicine services, including those resulting in a prescription. Lifting this burden on patients and providers significantly increased access to care for populations that struggle to visit a doctor in person, including rural, disabled, and elderly Texans.
Taxes & Spending
Eliminating the School M&O Property Tax
Texas has some of the highest property taxes in the nation. In 2014, the Tax Foundation reported that Texas had the sixth highest effective property tax rate. In 2016, more than 5,100 local tax jurisdictions levied $56.1 billion in property taxes, or $2,000 on average for every Texan—man, woman, and child. And property taxes continue...
September 1, 2018