HBA-DMH H.B. 760 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 760 By: Coleman Insurance 2/19/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the majority of health benefit plans in Texas exclude coverage for an injury or sickness resulting from attempted suicide or intentionally self-inflicted injury. Some states have already adopted legislation to require equitable coverage for mental health and physical health services. House Bill 760 provides that a mental health benefit plan must include coverage for minors who attempt suicide or intentionally self-inflict an injury. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the commissioner of insurance in SECTION 1 (Section 5, Article 21.53P, Insurance Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS House Bill 760 amends the Insurance Code to establish that a health benefit plan must provide coverage for an enrollee, from birth through the date the enrollee is 18 years of age, for a physical injury to the enrollee that is self-inflicted by an enrollee with a serious mental illness or in an attempt to commit suicide, regardless of the state of mental health of the enrollee or whether the injury results in the death of the enrollee. The bill prohibits such benefits from being made subject to a deductible, coinsurance, or copayment requirement that exceeds the deductible, coinsurance, or copayment requirements applicable to other physical injury benefits provided under the health benefit plan. The bill specifies the health benefit plans to which these provisions do and do not apply The bill requires the commissioner of insurance to adopt rules as necessary to administer these provisions. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001, and applies only to a health benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2002.