Texas is Finally on Board with Telemedicine

After stutters and starts, Texas became the last state in the U.S. to enact legislation allowing doctors to treat patients virtually. Proponents argue that it was sorely needed, as Texas ranks 46^th in the country in the number of primary care physicians per capita—71.4 PCPs for every 100,000 residents, according to telehealth provider Teledoc; 35 counties don’t have a family physician at all. Teladoc actually started operating in Texas in 2005, but the state medical board restricted the use of telemedicine some 5 years later, setting off a legal battle between Teledoc and the board. Teladoc says it will drop its antitrust suit against the state now that the law has been signed into effect.