1-1 By: Averitt (Senate Sponsor - Sibley) H.B. No. 1924 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 1999; 1-3 May 3, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Economic 1-4 Development; May 14, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable 1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; 1-6 May 14, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1924 By: Sibley 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to health insurance provided through the Texas Health 1-11 Insurance Risk Pool. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Section 2(7), Article 3.77, Insurance Code, is 1-14 amended to read as follows: 1-15 (7) "Health insurance" means individual or group 1-16 health insurance and includes any hospital and medical expense 1-17 incurred policy, a fraternal benefit society, a stipulated premium 1-18 company, an approved nonprofit health corporation, health 1-19 maintenance organization subscriber contract, coverage by a group 1-20 hospital service plan, a multiple employer welfare arrangement 1-21 subject to Subchapter I of this chapter, or any other health care 1-22 plan or arrangement that pays for or furnishes medical or health 1-23 care services whether by insurance or otherwise. The term does not 1-24 include short-term, accident, dental-only, vision-only, fixed 1-25 indemnity, credit insurance, long-term care, disability income, or 1-26 other limited benefit insurance, coverage issued as a supplement to 1-27 liability insurance, insurance arising out of a workers' 1-28 compensation or similar law, automobile medical-payment insurance, 1-29 or insurance under which benefits are payable with or without 1-30 regard to fault and which is statutorily required to be contained 1-31 in any liability insurance policy or equivalent self-insurance. 1-32 SECTION 2. Article 3.77, Insurance Code, is amended by 1-33 adding Section 16 to read as follows: 1-34 Sec. 16. (a) An insurer may provide a notification to its 1-35 insureds regarding the creation of the Texas Health Insurance Risk 1-36 Pool and the address for information on cost, coverage, 1-37 eligibility, and other information where an insured can compare his 1-38 or her current health insurance with the benefits plan offered by 1-39 the pool. The insurer shall not incur any liability solely for 1-40 providing such notification. 1-41 (b) An insurer providing notice under subsection (a) shall 1-42 provide such notice as prescribed by the commissioner. The 1-43 commissioner may promulgate rules to implement this section. 1-44 SECTION 3. Article 3.77, Insurance Code, as amended by this 1-45 Act, applies only to an insurance policy, contract, or evidence of 1-46 coverage delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after 1-47 January 1, 2000. A policy, contract, or evidence of coverage 1-48 delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed before January 1, 2000, 1-49 is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the 1-50 effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for 1-51 that purpose. 1-52 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-53 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 1-54 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-55 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-56 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-57 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-58 * * * * *