The House Committee on Public Health interim report to the 88th Legislature covers health care along the Texas-Mexico border, fentanyl in Texas, telemedicine, health professional workforce, and rural healthcare. For more information see the full report here.
Spotlight on Recommendations
Charge 1. Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th Legislature, including HB 4 and HB 1616.
- Ensure HHSC continues to review opportunities for delivery of services via technology. HHSC should, via statute, have the authority to quickly adopt and allow for the greater utilization of teleservices, provided the service(s) is found to be clinically appropriate and cost effective, and has evidence of a positive impact on patient health and safety.
- Review and address current laws relating to remote patient monitoring (RPM). Texas’ current law is very restrictive on conditions allowed for the utilization of RPM.
Charge 2. Consider issues involving access to health care along the Texas-Mexico border, including, but not limited to, the ability to access providers, hospital capacity, pharmaceutical adequacy and whether any particularized training or education is necessary or appropriate.
- Creation of a Texas Center for Rural Health Education.
- Fund border and frontier health care loan and tuition reimbursements.
- Codify specific public health emergency waivers.
- Boost Technical Infrastructure. These telemedicine options could increase and improve health care access for Border residents.
- The committee should continue to study socioeconomic contributing factors and urge the various public and private health care providers to analyze the cost benefit of addressing these issues.
- The committee urges HHSC to research grants and other sources of revenue to fund more emergency medical transportation in the border area.
Charge 3. Study the impact of fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths in Texas. Evaluate existing data collection, dissemination, and mitigation strategies regarding opioid abuse in Texas. Make recommendations to improve coordinated prevention, education, treatment, and data-sharing
- Update Texas Rules to allow for out of state employees at OTPs.
- Update Texas Rules to synchronize with federal rules regarding buprenorphine.
- Allow Nurse Practitioners to prescribe opioid treatment medications at OTPs.
- Legalize fentanyl testing strips.
- Urge the CDC to update ICD 10 codes to improve accessible overdose data.
- Encourage widespread naloxone availability and education.
- Promote and Improve Immediate overdose data.
- Establish a coordinated social media campaign.
Charge 4. Study current telemedicine trends by assessing and making recommendations related to standardizing required documentation healthcare providers must obtain for consent for treatment, data collection, sharing and retention schedules, and providing telemedicine medical services to certain cancer patients receiving pain management services and supportive palliative care.
- Medical record documentation and retention requirements for telemedicine and in-person services should be addressed.
- Require M.D. Anderson to submit a report per the rider language to the Legislature.
Charge 5. Examine existing resources and available opportunities to strengthen the state’s nursing and other health professional workforce, including rural physicians and nurses.
- Fund Loan Repayment Programs.
- Develop a strategic plan to open additional nursing clinical sites
- Address workplace violence and other challenges facing health care practitioners.
- Consider innovative solutions to ensure use of all resources.
- Address hurdles International Medical Graduates face to reasonably gain State Licensure.
- Review COVID-19 practice waivers for long term solutions.
- Consider ways to hire and retain qualified faculty.
Charge 6. Assess ongoing challenges in the rural health care system and the impact of legislation and funding from the 87th regular and special sessions on strengthening rural health care and the sustainability of rural hospitals and health care providers. Evaluate federal regulations authorizing the creation of a Rural Emergency Hospital provider type and determine if promoting this type of facility could increase local access to care in rural areas of the state.
- Monitor Rural Emergency Hospital Status Implementation.