By:  Harris                                                       S.B. No. 1804

Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1804:                                   

By:  Solomons                                                 C.S.S.B. No. 1804



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to certain health care treatment plans and pharmaceutical 
services.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subsection (e), Section 413.014, Labor Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
	(e)  The commission may not prohibit an insurance carrier and 
a health care provider from voluntarily discussing health care 
treatment and treatment plans and pharmaceutical services, either 
prospectively or concurrently, and may not prohibit an insurance 
carrier from certifying or agreeing to pay for health care 
consistent with those agreements.  The insurance carrier is liable 
for health care treatment and treatment plans and pharmaceutical 
services that are voluntarily preauthorized and may not dispute the 
certified or agreed-on preauthorized health care treatment and 
treatment plans and pharmaceutical services at a later date.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003. and 
applies to requests for voluntary precertification occurring on, or 
after, the effective date.