Tap Telehealth in Garland
Tap Telehealth connects patients to quality healthcare. In just a few minutes, our doctors can assess your symptoms, recommend treatments, and even send prescriptions to your local pharmacy.
We’re here to remove barriers to care, empowering patients to take charge of their health with just a tap.
We understand you may have questions
We understand you may have questions about Tap Telehealth appearing on your utility bill – and we appreciate that.
For nearly 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of caring for Garland families, including my time on staff at your local hospital before it closed. That closure left a painful gap in our community’s healthcare access, and I’ve watched families struggle with impossible choices:
- overwhelming ER visits for simple issues
- urgent care centers with hours-long waits, or
- suffering through the night because help feels out of reach.
That’s why I’m bringing to Garland the same service I’ve quietly provided my own friends and family for two decades: real medical guidance through simple text messages, available when you actually need it.
While other services require appointments weeks out, complex apps, or connecting you to random call center doctors who don’t know our community, we’ve partnered with the City of Garland to offer something different – direct access to me and my team of physicians who know and have served your community for years.
When your child wakes up with a fever while you’re getting everyone ready for school, or you develop that painful UTI on a Sunday evening, you simply text us like you would a trusted friend who happens to be a doctor. Within minutes, not hours or days, we can assess your situation, provide guidance, and when appropriate, call in affordable prescriptions to your neighborhood pharmacy.
This isn’t about adding another fee – it’s about ensuring no family in Garland has to face the healthcare desert left by the hospital closure alone, bringing back that security of knowing a doctor who knows you is just a text away.
–
President & CEO, MD Health Pathways
“This was our first time using a telehealth service!
This saved me soooo many trips into the doctors office.”
-TROUP RESIDENT
Frequently
asked questions
Frequently asked questions
The City of Garland has partnered with MD Health Pathways to provide residents with convenient access to Tap Telehealth. Every household in Garland will automatically be included so no family is left out—but the choice is always yours. If you prefer not to participate, you can easily opt out.
A pilot program with 10,000 residents is expected to launch in October 2025. More information will be released as it becomes available.
Care during the pilot program will be available every day from 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM, including weekends and holidays. No appointments required just text when you need us.
- No cost to the City of Garland — the program is fully funded through the $6 fee collected from Garland utility customers.
- True universal access — includes all residents (insured, uninsured, underinsured, non-English speakers, tech-limited households).
- Reduced school absenteeism — timely care helps prevent avoidable illness-related absences.
- Public health alerts — built-in text alerts for flu, heat, or air quality issues.
Lower family costs — flat, predictable monthly fee instead of unexpected medical bills.
By setting the implementation date many months in advance, MD Health Pathways and the City of Garland will have ample time to build awareness, engage with residents, and provide clear information about the program, its benefits, and the opt-out process for those who wish to decline participation.
At least 90 days before the start date, the City of Garland and Tap Telehealth will publish all phone numbers, text lines, and email addresses for questions and opt-outs.
The program is designed to be simple, predictable, and affordable:
- $6 per month, per household – one flat fee that covers everyone at the address (up to 10 people).
- Unlimited visits – no limits on how often you can use the service.
- No copays, no per-visit charges, no insurance required.
There are no hidden fees. The flat monthly charge is the only cost for covered services.
Any City of Garland resident is eligible to use Tap Telehealth regardless of insurance coverage, Medicaid status, or Medicare status. No one is excluded based on their insurance situation.
Yes, you will still have access if you live in an apartment and do not directly receive a utility bill from the City of Garland.
The utility bill is simply the easiest and most reliable way to reach every household. Participation is completely optional—you can opt out at any time.
Tap Telehealth is built for the everyday health needs of Garland families. With one flat monthly fee, your household can access care for:
- Everyday urgent issues: coughs, colds, flu, sore throats, ear infections, sinus infections, UTIs, minor injuries.
- Skin concerns: rashes, acne, allergic reactions, insect bites, minor burns.
- Medication management: safe refills, dosage questions, and prescription adjustments (excluding controlled substances).
- Mental health support: guidance and referrals for stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Preventive health guidance: wellness advice, chronic condition check-ins, and healthy living support.
- Prescriptions: sent directly to any licensed pharmacy you choose.
- Referrals: for labs, imaging (X-rays, MRIs), and specialty care at affordable community partners.
- Unlimited family-wide access: up to 10 people in the home, no limits, no copays, no surprise bills.
If you don’t want the service, opting out is simple and permanent.
Residents who do not wish to participate in Tap Telehealth once it’s launched can opt out before the program begins.
- Call us — speak with a live representative who can remove you in under a minute.
- Email us. City of Garland utility account customers wanting to opt out may email optout@garlandtx.gov. Within the opt-out email, please include the account holder’s name, address, phone number and account number (if available).
- Mail us — return the flier included with your water bill.
For seniors or anyone less comfortable with technology, a quick phone call is all it takes.
This approach ensures no one is ever left behind without care, while also guaranteeing every household has a choice.
- Fast response times – On average, patients connect with a doctor in under 60 seconds.
- Expanded provider pool – We maintain a large team of licensed physicians and nurse practitioners, with the ability to add more as demand grows.
- Local commitment – Many of our doctors have served Garland families for decades.
This is not a pilot program—Garland is building on a proven system that has already been serving Texas communities for years.
Here’s what that means for you:
- No data sharing with the City or utility – The City of Garland will never see your health information. They only handle billing.
- Secure communication – All messages are encrypted end-to-end.
- Strict safeguards – We follow HIPAA and federal security standards to protect your medical records.
- No selling of data – We do not sell or share your health information with third parties.
You control your care – Your medical information stays between you and your Tap Telehealth provider.
Think of it this way: the utility helps collect the $6 monthly fee, but your healthcare and your health data remain completely separate and private.
Fact: Tap Telehealth uses strict federal security standards and safeguards to protect against unauthorized access.
Myth: Residents on Medicare cannot use Tap Telehealth.
Fact: Any resident with a City of Garland utility account is eligible to use Tap Telehealth regardless of insurance or Medicare status.