Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Doctor pitches $9/month opt-out telemedicine plan to Mesquite council
Summary
Dr. Dirk Parrott of MD Health Pathways presented a proposed telemedicine service that would be added as an opt-out $9 monthly line item on water bills to give households text/video access to a doctor; council raised questions about opt-out logistics, apartment billing, utility-staff workload and legal authority.
Dr. Dirk Parrott, a practicing emergency physician and founder of MD Health Pathways, told the Mesquite City Council on Aug. 18 that his company can give residents immediate access to a doctor by texting or calling — for a proposed $9 monthly opt-out fee billed on the water utility. Parrott said the fee would cover up to 10 household members and could be sustained citywide using an opt‑out model similar to a long‑standing air‑ambulance program.
The proposal was presented as a pilot-style service already operating in nearly 20 municipalities across South Carolina and Texas and in partnership with local organizations. "You literally text in and within 60 seconds" a clinician will respond,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
