“What we used to be fighting about is, 'What can technology do?'” said Nora Belcher in mid-2016, executive director of the Texas e-Health Alliance, according to the news site. “Now we’re talking about what technology should do.”

Pressure for a resolution also came from the powerful Texas Association of Business. "Texas has some of the most onerous regulatory hurdles for telemedicine technologies," its then-CEO Bill Hammond stated during that period, noting that, "the industry's potential to help Texas patients and companies maximize access to care and reduce the cost of care is being held back by limitations imposed by regulators who accept the status quo as sufficient." Hammond added.


The compromise effort appears to be paying off – and all the parties involved seem satisfied that patients will get proper care, that payments will be appropriately made, costs reduced, and the entire telemedicine landscape able to function free of unduly onerous regulation.

"This is significant, and will be a winner for everyone," said Belcher. "This is going to get us a fair and open market for telemedicine in Texas."

The Texas Medical Association likewise was supportive of the effort. Dr. Ray Callas, chair of the Texas Medical Association Council on Legislation. praised Senator Schwertner “for his leadership in helping us all pursue a compromise telemedicine bill on our patients' behalf."

Although Callas did advise that, "while we are pleased that the seed of a legislative agreement is in place, we acknowledge that more work remains before it can grow into a new law to guide this valuable form of patient care for the future."

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