After receiving overwhelming opposition from counselors, a Texas regulatory board scrapped a proposed rule Wednesday that would have required an in-person session before a physician could provide “distance” services, such as a video call. It will be applicable to all the physicians who passed the Texas board exam to get their license.
In addition, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors said it didn’t see problems indicating the rule was needed, said Steven Christopherson, chairman of the board’s rules committee.
“We haven’t really seen a pattern of complaints,” he told the board. “Show us a pattern of complaints, we’ll show you a rule.”
The rules committee took up the rule earlier in the day and agreed it wasn’t needed. “There’s very little support for this rule,” Christopherson said at that meeting. The Texas Medical Board pointed out that not allowing the use of technology for counseling clients in rural areas where health professionals are sparse could cause fewer people to seek help.
The rule was proposed for safety reasons, so physicians could get a better handle on who they are treating, he told the Statesman. It was similar to a rule proposed three years ago and withdrawn in the face of strong opposition.
Using technology to provide medical and counseling services at a distance, often with the provider in an office and the patient at home, is accelerating nationally, with many private insurers covering the care. But physician and mental health providers of what is called telemedicine, or telehealth, said Texas boards are moving against the tide.
Read More: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/texas-board-rejects-rule-restricting-distance-coun/nqcLX/
In addition, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors said it didn’t see problems indicating the rule was needed, said Steven Christopherson, chairman of the board’s rules committee.
“We haven’t really seen a pattern of complaints,” he told the board. “Show us a pattern of complaints, we’ll show you a rule.”
The rules committee took up the rule earlier in the day and agreed it wasn’t needed. “There’s very little support for this rule,” Christopherson said at that meeting. The Texas Medical Board pointed out that not allowing the use of technology for counseling clients in rural areas where health professionals are sparse could cause fewer people to seek help.
The rule was proposed for safety reasons, so physicians could get a better handle on who they are treating, he told the Statesman. It was similar to a rule proposed three years ago and withdrawn in the face of strong opposition.
Using technology to provide medical and counseling services at a distance, often with the provider in an office and the patient at home, is accelerating nationally, with many private insurers covering the care. But physician and mental health providers of what is called telemedicine, or telehealth, said Texas boards are moving against the tide.
Read More: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/texas-board-rejects-rule-restricting-distance-coun/nqcLX/
