By: Smithee H.B. No. 1569 73R5980 DLF-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to uniform health insurance claim forms. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 3, Insurance Code, is 1-5 amended by adding Article 3.51-11 to read as follows: 1-6 Art. 3.51-11. UNIFORM HEALTH INSURANCE CLAIM FORMS. (a) 1-7 In this article, "health insurance policy" means an individual, 1-8 group, blanket, or franchise insurance policy, insurance agreement, 1-9 or group hospital service contract that provides benefits for 1-10 medical or surgical expenses incurred as a result of an accident or 1-11 sickness. 1-12 (b) The board by rule shall adopt a uniform health insurance 1-13 claim form to be used to claim a benefit payable under a health 1-14 insurance policy. The form may be based on, or substantially 1-15 identical to, a uniform claim form promulgated by a nationally 1-16 recognized association of insurers or insurance regulators or an 1-17 agency of the federal government. 1-18 (c) The board shall adopt rules to facilitate the use of 1-19 electronic equivalents of the uniform health insurance claim form. 1-20 (d) An insurer may not require a person to submit a claim 1-21 for a benefit payable under a health insurance policy on a claim 1-22 form other than the uniform health insurance claim form or an 1-23 electronic equivalent of that form adopted by the board. 1-24 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and 2-1 applies only to a claim form used to claim a benefit under an 2-2 insurance policy on or after January 1, 1994. A claim form used to 2-3 claim a benefit under an insurance policy before January 1, 1994, 2-4 is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the 2-5 effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for 2-6 that purpose. 2-7 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.