Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 1676 amends the Insurance Code to prohibit certain health benefit plans from excluding coverage for various types of therapy, rehabilitation, testing, treatment, and services necessary as a result of and related to an acquired brain injury. The bill requires the commissioner of insurance to require the issuer of a health benefit plan to provide adequate training to personnel responsible for preauthorization of coverage or utilization review to prevent wrongful denial of required coverage and to avoid confusion of medical benefits with mental health benefits.

            House Bill 1676 requires the Sunset Advisory Commission, in cooperation with the Texas Department of Insurance and any other state agency as necessary, to conduct a study on or before September 1, 2006, to determine to what extent required coverage is being used and the impact of the coverage on the cost of those health benefit plans providing the coverage. The bill requires the commission to report findings to the legislature on or before January 1, 2007, and provisions governing the study expire September 1, 2007.