STATEWIDE -- Texas doctors are now allowed to see patients through a phone or video connection instead of just face-to-face at the doctor's office. New laws took effect Sept. 1 that makes telemedicine legal.

Through telemedicine, licensed physicians are able to see patients for an array of medical needs without ever meeting in-person.

Dr. Jason Tibbels is a family practice physician based in Decatur, Texas. He said telemedicine is much cheaper to provide than an emergency room or urgent care--even a doctor's office--and can often handle many of the problems people try to solve at an emergency room.

"That's where a lot of the volume has been, is redirecting those visits--or at least the simple ones that can be handled remotely, which is a lot of them--from a very expensive site of delivery to a less expensive and far more convenient site," Tibbels said.

Virtual doctor visits became crucial in treating people who were affected by Hurricane Harvey. Tibbels may have been 300 miles away, but he was still able to see a multitude of patients through the service, Teladoc.

"We took care of hundreds of patients for free," he said. "Our members, non-members--it didn't matter. Anyone who had the number could call us if they were affected by Harvey."

In addition to having much lower overhead costs, Tibbels said telemedicine saves patients time and money. It also keeps them from getting sick from other patients in the waiting room.

"One of our biggest sets of clients are large employers, who see the value in--not only keeping their employees healthy, but--keeping them at work. Keeping kids in school," he said.

Texas was the last state to allow telemedicine. SB 1107 allows all Texans to participate in telemedicine; HB 1697--authored by Rep. Four Price, R-Amarillo--focuses on rural health providers.

"It's a big step in the right direction," he said. "You are able to treat children that don't have to be transferred--that would otherwise be transferred--to a tremendous cost. Not only to the children and their families, but to the system."

Price's bill targets rural communities, where patients often had to travel long distances to see a specialist. It also created a grant program for rural health care providers. Medical facilities are able to use that money to buy the equipment they need, and modernize their facility to ensure they have a dependable two-way video signal that also meets HIPAA requirements.