By:  West                                                         S.B. No. 500

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to prices charged for the provision of health care services. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 552.001, Insurance Code, as effective April 1, 2005, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 552.001. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. (a) This chapter does not apply to the provision of a health care service to a: (1) Medicaid or Medicare patient[;] or a patient who is covered by a federal, state, or local government-sponsored indigent health care program; (2) financially or medically indigent person who qualifies for indigent health care services based on: (A) a sliding fee scale; or (B) a written charity care policy established by a health care provider; or (3) person who is not covered by a health insurance policy or other health benefit plan that provides benefits for the services and qualifies for services for the uninsured based on a written policy established by a health care provider. (b) This chapter does not permit the establishment of health care provider policies or contracts that violate any other state or federal law. (c) This chapter does not prohibit a health care provider from entering into a contract to provide services covered by a health insurance policy or other health benefit plan with: (1) the issuer of the health insurance policy or other health benefit plan; or (2) a preferred provider organization that contracts with the issuer of the health insurance policy or other health benefit plan. SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to charges for health care services provided on or after the effective date of this Act. Charges for health care services provided before the effective date of this Act are governed by the law in effect immediately before that date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2005.