To help combat the spread of Coronavirus, TDLR requested and received authority from Governor Greg Abbott to suspend certain regulatory requirements, to the extent necessary, to allow licensees of the Dyslexia Practitioners and Dyslexia Therapists program to provide more services to clients through telehealth and to ease other licensing restrictions.
These suspensions are in effect until terminated by the Office of the Governor or until the March 13, 2020 disaster declaration is lifted or expires. In accordance with Section 418.016 of the Texas Government Code, the Office of the Governor has granted TDLRโs request to suspend the following provisions:
- Texas Occupations Code ยง403.151, to the extent necessary to allow a licensed dyslexia practitioner to practice and provide services outside of an educational setting. Licensed dyslexia therapists continue to be allowed to practice outside of an educational setting.
- 16 TAC ยง120.90(b)(18), to allow dyslexia services to be provided by dyslexia therapists or dyslexia practitioners solely through smart phone or any audio-visual, real-time, or two-way interactive communication system that can be used to provide telehealth services. Under the suspension, an initial in-person meeting with a client is not required for either a dyslexia therapist or a dyslexia practitioner.
Licensees who need additional information on billing policies relating to the provision of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic should contact Texas Health and Human Services Medicaid or managed care organizations (MCO), as policies are changing rapidly. It is critical to check with your payer before initiating a new type of service or service delivery model, such as telehealth.
Before providing telehealth services, licensees should verify the applicability of other requirements and obligations, such as HIPAA and medical and personal privacy requirements.