By Maxey H.B. No. 1034 74R4879 GCH-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to health insurance coverage under the Texas Employees 1-3 Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Act. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. The Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance 1-6 Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) is 1-7 amended by adding Section 5B to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 5B. MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT COVERAGE. (a) The trustee 1-9 shall provide optional group Medicare supplement coverages for 1-10 employees, annuitants, and their dependents who are eligible to 1-11 receive Medicare. The group Medicare supplement coverages must 1-12 meet the requirements of Article 3.74, Insurance Code, for group 1-13 Medicare supplement policies. An employee or annuitant may not 1-14 enroll in a coverage provided under this section in addition to 1-15 other coverages provided under this Act. 1-16 (b) An employee or annuitant who enrolls in a coverage 1-17 provided under this section and for whom employer contributions are 1-18 made by the state is entitled to receive 40 percent of any amount 1-19 by which the premium for the basic coverage of the employee or 1-20 annuitant only is less than the premium for the coverage of an 1-21 employee or annuitant only under the coverage the employee or 1-22 annuitant had immediately before enrolling in a coverage provided 1-23 under this section. 1-24 (c) The amount to which an employee or annuitant may be 2-1 entitled under Subsection (b) of this section is payable from 2-2 employer contributions made by the state to the Employees Life, 2-3 Accident, and Health Insurance and Benefits Fund. The trustee by 2-4 rule shall determine the manner and frequency of payments to be 2-5 made under this section. 2-6 SECTION 2. This Act applies only to a group benefits plan 2-7 issued, delivered, or issued for delivery under the Texas Employees 2-8 Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's 2-9 Texas Insurance Code), as amended by this Act, on or after 2-10 September 1, 1995. 2-11 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-12 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-13 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-14 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-15 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-16 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-17 passage, and it is so enacted.