By: Berlanga H.B. No. 1191 73R4311 DLF-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to use of osteopathic hospitals by health maintenance and 1-3 preferred provider organizations. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 21, Insurance Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Article 21.53B to read as follows: 1-7 Art. 21.53B. USE OF OSTEOPATHIC HOSPITAL BY HEALTH 1-8 MAINTENANCE AND PREFERRED PROVIDER ORGANIZATIONS. (a) A health 1-9 maintenance or preferred provider organization that contracts with 1-10 a hospital to provide services to covered individuals may not 1-11 refuse to contract with a particular hospital solely because that 1-12 hospital is an osteopathic hospital. 1-13 (b) A health maintenance or preferred provider organization 1-14 that provides benefits for inpatient or outpatient services 1-15 provided by allopathic hospitals shall also provide, at the option 1-16 of a covered person, benefits for similar services provided by an 1-17 osteopathic hospital if there is an osteopathic hospital within the 1-18 service area of the health maintenance or preferred provider 1-19 organization. 1-20 (c) The board may adopt rules to implement this article. 1-21 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and 1-22 applies only to a contract made or renewed on or after January 1, 1-23 1994. A contract made or renewed before January 1, 1994, is 1-24 governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date 2-1 of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. 2-2 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.