Important Texas Legislative Information!
The opportunity to file bills for consideration in the 82nd session of the Texas Legislature has passed Your Legislative Council has reviewed the list and want you to know about bills we are watching.
The most important legislation to our industry certainly is a bill that creates a Texas Exchange. There are 4 bills filed.
- HB636 (Zerwas) creates a Texas Health Insurance Connector and has been heard in hearing. TAHU and our coalition partners testified at the hearing on February 28 about the importance of the involvement of agents and the preservation of plan design and compensation. We are watching this bill VERY closely.
- HB3402 (Coleman) also creates a state health insurance exchanges and was referred to House Insurance last Friday. It has not yet been posted on the committee's agenda.
- SB1510 (West) is virtually identical to the Zerwas bill and has not yet been referred to committee for hearing
- SB1782 (Ellis) is very similar Representative Coleman's bill and is at the same status as Senator West's proposed legislation
Two bills have been filed in the House to allow for H S A qualified plans to be offered to employees of the State. You'll remember that this has been attempted for the last several sessions.
- HB1766 (Crownover) has been referred to Pension & Investments and is scheduled for a public hearing on March 22. TAHU has long supported this legislation and will continue to do so.
- HB1362 (Laubenberg) was referred to House Insurance on March 1, but has not been set for hearing. The language in this bill is significantly different from HB1766 in that it creates no savings to the state budget.
One bill has been filed in each house on TDI sunset. You'll recall the last session where a stopgap of another 2 years was granted. This year we have a very clean bill that is expected to be approved without difficulty.
- SB644 (Heger) was referred to the Committee on Government Organization and is to be heard in committee on March 21.
- HB1952 (Taylor) has been referred to House Insurance and is not yet set for hearing.
Other House bills on our watch list include
HB1534 (Eiland) regarding "silent PPO networks
HB2430 (Kolkhorst) regarding price transparency
HB2576 (Truitt) regarding pricing of charges for inpatient and outpatient care
HB3087 (Smithee) addresses facility based physician charges and how to resolve conflicts, including notification that a higher than usual and customary charge prior to service.
And in the senate we are watching
SB554 (Corona) regarding limitations on a fees charged for dental services not covered by the insurance contract.
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