HBA-TYH H.B. 1211 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1211 By: Averitt Insurance 3/4/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Health Insurance Portability and Availability Act (Chapter 26, Insurance Code) regulates Texas' small and large employer insurance market. Each small employer carrier must provide the small employer health benefit plans without regard to health status related factors. Each small employer carrier is required to issue the plan chosen by the small employer to each small employer that elects to be covered under that plan and agrees to satisfy the other requirements of the plan. H.B. 1211 clarifies language with regard to small employer plans offered by health maintenance organizations in Texas. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Article 26.48(a), Insurance Code, to authorize a health maintenance organization to offer a state-approved health benefit plan that complies with this chapter, the Texas Health Maintenance Organization Act (Chapter 20A, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) (Health Maintenance Organization Act), Title XIII, Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Section 300e et seq.) (Requirements of Health Maintenance Organizations), and its subsequent amendments, and rules adopted under these laws, or to offer another specified plan or contract. Deletes the specification that the authorization is not given to the small employer health benefit plans described by this subchapter. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.