Telehealth primer

An online visit is still Texas care

Seeing a doctor or nurse on a screen changes where you sit, not the rules. The licence, the careful look at your health and the follow-up still count.

THE LICENCE

Your location sets the state

If the patient was physically in Texas, the treating doctor generally had to hold a full Texas medical licence, as of September 2026. The one exception covered a small group of doctors who already held an older out-of-state telemedicine licence.

The business can be elsewhere. The simple question to ask is: “Do you hold a full Texas medical licence?”

THE FIRST VISIT

Texas allows more than one kind of first online visit

As of September 2026, a first online visit with a new clinician in Texas could be a live video call. It could also rest on the clinician reviewing your photos or your medical records, such as your history, lab results and past prescriptions, even without a video call. A phone call by itself was not on that list for a new patient.

If you already see this clinician, different rules can apply. A short sign-up form with no records behind it is not the same as someone reading your real history and test results.

THE STANDARD

Remote care does not get a lower bar

As of September 2026, Texas law required informed consent before an online visit, meaning the clinician must get your agreement to be treated this way. Under that law, a video or online visit had to meet the bar an in-person visit meets.

After a first online visit, Texas required follow-up guidance as of September 2026. With the patient’s consent, a report had to reach the regular doctor within 72 hours.