On Wednesday, Dallas-based Teladoc has filed a federal antitrust case, so that it can stop new rules on telemedicine services in Texas to come into effect.

On April 10, the Texas Medical Board adopted the new rules. As per it, physicians would not be allowed to provide care through phone or video to patients whom they have not seen in person before. The board stated that it will only permit telemedicine without a prior visit when patients are at a health facility, like a hospital, clinic or a pharmacy and also, they have a health care professional with them.

These rules that will come into effect from June will not be applicable on mental health visits. The lawsuits claim that the board is illegally limiting competition. The company that provides phone and video appointments to patients has asked for a preliminary injunction to halt the rules until a jury trial can sort out the dispute.

Teladoc CEO Jason Gorevic said that the board has claimed that the new rules are meant to seek out the concerns about patient safety. "But not one share of data was presented during the medical board's comment period to support the position that telehealth poses a patient safety risk", said affirmed Gorevic.

He also claimed that the new rules would increase prices and reduce access to physician services in Texas and could also cause 'dramatic and irreparable injury' to the company. It may even make the company to be out of the business in Texas and possible across the nation.

If the rules come into action then Texas would join Arkansas as the only states that have the law in which an in-person visit is needed before telemedicine appointments. A Texas Medical Board spokesman said that the board stands by the rules.