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.
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