By:  Madla                                             S.B. No. 344
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the selection of podiatrists.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 21, Insurance Code, is
    1-4  amended by adding Article 21.52C to read as follows:
    1-5        Art. 21.52C.  SERVICES OF PODIATRIST
    1-6        Sec. 1.  DEFINITIONS.  In this article:
    1-7              (1)  "Health insurance policy" means an individual,
    1-8  group, blanket, or franchise insurance policy, an insurance
    1-9  agreement, or a group hospital service contract, including evidence
   1-10  of coverage provided by a health maintenance organization under the
   1-11  Texas Health Maintenance Organization Act (Chapter 20A, Vernon's
   1-12  Texas Insurance Code).
   1-13              (2)  "Podiatric services" means any services furnished
   1-14  to any person for the purpose of treating any disease, disorder,
   1-15  physical injury, deformity, or ailment of the human foot.
   1-16              (3)  "Podiatrist" means any person who furnishes
   1-17  podiatric services and who is licensed to practice podiatry by the
   1-18  Texas State Board of Podiatry Examiners.
   1-19        Sec. 2.  SELECTION OF PODIATRIST; INTERFERENCE
   1-20  PROHIBITED.  No health insurance policy which is  delivered,
   1-21  renewed, issued for delivery, or otherwise contracted for in this
   1-22  state shall:
   1-23              (1)  prevent any person who is a party to or
    2-1  beneficiary of the health insurance policy from selecting the
    2-2  podiatrist of his or her choice to furnish the podiatric services
    2-3  offered by the policy or interfere with such selection provided the
    2-4  podiatrist is licensed to furnish such podiatric services in this
    2-5  state;
    2-6              (2)  deny any podiatrist the  right to participate as a
    2-7  contracting provider for the policy provided the podiatrist is
    2-8  licensed to furnish the podiatric services offered by the policy;
    2-9  or
   2-10              (3)  authorize any person to regulate, interfere with,
   2-11  or intervene in any manner in the diagnosis or treatment of a
   2-12  patient by a podiatrist for the purpose of treating any disease,
   2-13  disorder, physical injury, deformity, or ailment of the human foot
   2-14  provided the podiatrist practices within the scope of his or her
   2-15  license.
   2-16        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-17  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-21  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-22  passage, and it is so enacted.