|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the enrollment of certain children and recipients of |
|
|
medical assistance in group health benefit plans. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 1207.002, Insurance |
|
|
Code, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) A group health benefit plan issuer shall permit an |
|
|
individual who is otherwise eligible for enrollment in the plan to |
|
|
enroll in the plan, without regard to any enrollment period |
|
|
restriction, on receipt of written notice from the Health and Human |
|
|
Services Commission [or a designee of the commission stating] that |
|
|
the individual is: |
|
|
(1) a recipient of medical assistance under the state |
|
|
Medicaid program and is a participant in the health insurance |
|
|
premium payment reimbursement program under Section 32.0422, Human |
|
|
Resources Code; or |
|
|
(2) a child eligible for [enrolled in] the state child |
|
|
health plan under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code, and eligible |
|
|
to participate [is a participant] in the health insurance premium |
|
|
assistance program under Section 62.059, Health and Safety Code. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 1207.003, Insurance Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 1207.003. EFFECTIVE DATE OF ENROLLMENT. (a) Unless |
|
|
enrollment occurs during an established enrollment period, |
|
|
enrollment in a group health benefit plan under Section 1207.002 |
|
|
takes effect on: |
|
|
(1) the eligibility enrollment date specified in the |
|
|
written notice from the Health and Human Services Commission under |
|
|
Section 1207.002(a); or |
|
|
(2) the first day of the first calendar month that |
|
|
begins at least 30 days after the date written notice or a written |
|
|
request is received by the plan issuer under Section 1207.002(a) or |
|
|
(b), as applicable. |
|
|
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the individual must |
|
|
comply with a waiting period required under the state child health |
|
|
plan under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code, or under the health |
|
|
insurance premium assistance program under Section 62.059, Health |
|
|
and Safety Code, as applicable. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Subsection (b), Section 1207.004, Insurance |
|
|
Code, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(b) Notwithstanding any other requirement of a group health |
|
|
benefit plan, the plan issuer shall permit an individual who is |
|
|
enrolled in the plan under Section 1207.002(a)(2), and any family |
|
|
member of the individual enrolled under Section 1207.002(c), to |
|
|
terminate enrollment in the plan not later than the 60th day after |
|
|
the date on which the individual provides a written request to |
|
|
disenroll from the plan because the individual [satisfactory proof
|
|
|
to the issuer that the child is] no longer wishes to participate [a
|
|
|
participant] in the health insurance premium assistance program |
|
|
under Section 62.059, Health and Safety Code. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |