H.B. No. 451 |
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relating to health benefit plan coverage for autism spectrum | ||
disorder. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 1355.002, Insurance Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1355.002. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. (a) This | ||
subchapter applies only to a group health benefit plan that | ||
provides benefits for medical or surgical expenses incurred as a | ||
result of a health condition, accident, or sickness, including: | ||
(1) a group insurance policy, group insurance | ||
agreement, group hospital service contract, or group evidence of | ||
coverage that is offered by: | ||
(A) an insurance company; | ||
(B) a group hospital service corporation | ||
operating under Chapter 842; | ||
(C) a fraternal benefit society operating under | ||
Chapter 885; | ||
(D) a stipulated premium company operating under | ||
Chapter 884; or | ||
(E) a health maintenance organization operating | ||
under Chapter 843; and | ||
(2) to the extent permitted by the Employee Retirement | ||
Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. Section 1001 et seq.), a plan | ||
offered under: | ||
(A) a multiple employer welfare arrangement as | ||
defined by Section 3 of that Act; or | ||
(B) another analogous benefit arrangement. | ||
(b) Notwithstanding any provision in Chapter 1575 or 1579 or | ||
any other law, Section 1355.015 applies to: | ||
(1) a basic plan under Chapter 1575; and | ||
(2) a primary care coverage plan under Chapter 1579. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 1355.015(a), Insurance Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) At a minimum, a health benefit plan must provide | ||
coverage as provided by this section to an enrollee [ |
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with autism spectrum disorder from the date of diagnosis until the | ||
enrollee completes nine years of age. If an enrollee who is being | ||
treated for autism spectrum disorder becomes 10 [ |
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or older and continues to need treatment, this subsection does not | ||
preclude coverage of treatment and services described by Subsection | ||
(b). | ||
SECTION 3. This Act applies only to a health benefit plan | ||
delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, | ||
2010. A health benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or | ||
renewed before January 1, 2010, is governed by the law as it existed | ||
immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is | ||
continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 451 was passed by the House on May 15, | ||
2009, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to | ||
H.B. No. 451 on May 29, 2009, and requested the appointment of a | ||
conference committee to consider the differences between the two | ||
houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report | ||
on H.B. No. 451 on May 31, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 122, | ||
Nays 20, 1 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 451 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 25, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays | ||
1; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference | ||
committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and | ||
that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. | ||
451 on May 31, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |