BILL ANALYSIS
By: Delisi
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current Texas law does not include licensed athletic trainers as practitioners whom insurance policy provisions must recognize. CSHB 584 amends the Insurance Code to add licensed athletic trainers to professions which must be recognized by insurance companies.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
SECTION 1: CSHB 584 amends Chapter 1451 of the Insurance Code as effective April 1, 2005, to add a definition of "licensed athletic trainer" as an individual licensed by the Advisory Board of Athletic Trainers.
SECTION 2: Provides that an insured person is authorized to select a licensed athletic trainer to provide services in the health insurance policy that are within the scope of the trainer's license.
SECTION 3: The Act applies only to health insurance policies that are issued, delivered, or renewed after January 1, 2006.
SECTION 4: Effective date
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005. The Act applies beginning with January 1, 2006.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
CSHB 584 eliminates Sections 1 and 2 of the original that required reimbursement of the athletic trainer for services that a physician requested the trainer to perform. It eliminates the mandates on insurance companies to cover these services.