S.B. No. 376 AN ACT 1-1 relating to use of osteopathic hospitals by health maintenance and 1-2 preferred provider organizations. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 21, Insurance Code, is 1-5 amended by adding Article 21.53B to read as follows: 1-6 Art. 21.53B. USE OF OSTEOPATHIC HOSPITAL BY HEALTH 1-7 MAINTENANCE AND PREFERRED PROVIDER ORGANIZATIONS. (a) A health 1-8 maintenance or preferred provider organization that contracts with 1-9 a hospital to provide services to covered individuals may not 1-10 refuse to contract with a particular hospital solely because that 1-11 hospital is an osteopathic hospital. 1-12 (b) A health maintenance or preferred provider organization 1-13 that provides benefits for inpatient or outpatient services 1-14 provided by allopathic hospitals shall seek to provide benefits for 1-15 similar services provided by an osteopathic hospital if there is an 1-16 osteopathic hospital within the service area of the health 1-17 maintenance or preferred provider organization that will provide 1-18 those services at substantially similar cost. 1-19 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and 1-20 applies only to a contract made or renewed on or after January 1, 1-21 1994. A contract made or renewed before January 1, 1994, is 1-22 governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date 1-23 of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. 1-24 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.