|
House Bill 680 |
House Author: Schwertner et al. |
|
Effective: 9-1-11 |
Senate Sponsor: Huffman |
House Bill 680 amends provisions of the Occupations Code relating to complaints filed with the Texas Medical Board. The bill establishes a time limit for the board to consider or act on a complaint involving care provided to a person, authorizes the board to consider a previously investigated complaint to determine whether there is a pattern of practice violating the Medical Practice Act, and prohibits the board from accepting anonymous complaints. The bill requires a complaint filed by an insurance agent, insurer, pharmaceutical company, or third-party administrator against a physician to include the name and address of the person or entity filing the complaint and requires the board to notify the physician who is the subject of the complaint of that information unless notice would jeopardize an investigation. The bill shortens the deadlines by which the board is required to complete a preliminary investigation of a complaint and notify a license holder of the time and place of an informal meeting relating to a complaint.
House Bill 680 authorizes the board to issue and establish the terms of a remedial plan to resolve the investigation of certain complaints under the Medical Practice Act, authorizes the board to assess a fee against a license holder participating in a remedial plan, and requires the board to adopt rules relating to the issuance of a remedial plan. The bill requires the board, on request by a physician under review by the board through an informal proceeding, to make a recording of the informal settlement conference proceeding and authorizes the board to charge the physician a fee to cover the cost of recording the proceeding. The bill revises the board's powers and duties with regard to an administrative law judge's findings of fact and conclusions of law in a hearing on the formal disposition of a contested case involving the board.