1-1 By: Haley S.B. No. 376
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 17, 1993; February 17, 1993,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human
1-4 Services; March 9, 1993, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 8, Nays 1; March 9, 1993, sent to printer.)
1-6 COMMITTEE VOTE
1-7 Yea Nay PNV Absent
1-8 Zaffirini x
1-9 Ellis x
1-10 Madla x
1-11 Moncrief x
1-12 Nelson x
1-13 Patterson x
1-14 Shelley x
1-15 Truan x
1-16 Wentworth x
1-17 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-18 AN ACT
1-19 relating to use of osteopathic hospitals by health maintenance and
1-20 preferred provider organizations.
1-21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-22 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 21, Insurance Code, is
1-23 amended by adding Article 21.53B to read as follows:
1-24 Art. 21.53B. USE OF OSTEOPATHIC HOSPITAL BY HEALTH
1-25 MAINTENANCE AND PREFERRED PROVIDER ORGANIZATIONS. (a) A health
1-26 maintenance or preferred provider organization that contracts with
1-27 a hospital to provide services to covered individuals may not
1-28 refuse to contract with a particular hospital solely because that
1-29 hospital is an osteopathic hospital.
1-30 (b) A health maintenance or preferred provider organization
1-31 that provides benefits for inpatient or outpatient services
1-32 provided by allopathic hospitals shall also provide, at the option
1-33 of a covered person, benefits for similar services provided by an
1-34 osteopathic hospital if there is an osteopathic hospital within the
1-35 service area of the health maintenance or preferred provider
1-36 organization.
1-37 (c) The board may adopt rules to implement this article.
1-38 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and
1-39 applies only to a contract made or renewed on or after January 1,
1-40 1994. A contract made or renewed before January 1, 1994, is
1-41 governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date
1-42 of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-43 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-44 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-45 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-46 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-47 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-48 * * * * *
1-49 Austin,
1-50 Texas
1-51 March 9, 1993
1-52 Hon. Bob Bullock
1-53 President of the Senate
1-54 Sir:
1-55 We, your Committee on Health and Human Services to which was
1-56 referred S.B. No. 376, have had the same under consideration, and I
1-57 am instructed to report it back to the Senate with the
1-58 recommendation that it do pass and be printed.
1-59 Zaffirini,
1-60 Chair
1-61 * * * * *
1-62 WITNESSES
1-63 FOR AGAINST ON
1-64 ___________________________________________________________________
1-65 Name: Dr. Jean Farrar x
1-66 Representing: Patients
1-67 City: Forth Worth
1-68 -------------------------------------------------------------------
2-1 Name: Robert W. McElearwey x
2-2 Representing: Dallas Family Hospital
2-3 City: Dallas
2-4 -------------------------------------------------------------------
2-5 Name: Terry R. Boucher x
2-6 Representing: TX Osteopathic Med. Assn.
2-7 City: Forth Worth
2-8 -------------------------------------------------------------------
2-9 Name: Mary Ann Raesener x
2-10 Representing: TX HMO Assn.
2-11 City: Austin
2-12 -------------------------------------------------------------------