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.