| TO: | Honorable Dan Branch, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1875 by Truitt (Relating to requiring a health benefit plan for enrollment at certain public institutions of higher education.), As Introduced |
The bill would require students to be enrolled in a health benefit plan and to submit proof of health insurance to the institution before the students can enroll in the institution. Under provisions of the bill, the institution may provide a health benefit plan to the student and impose a charge for providing that plan. The student may elect to be sponsored by the university or by a third party insurer. Upon a written request from the student, the institution must provide an estimate of the cost of the health benefit as a part of the educational cost and may cover all or part of the costs as part of the financial aid provided. The institution could provisionally enroll a student who is not covered under a health benefit plan for one semester to allow the student sufficient time to obtain coverage.
The bill authorizes the Higher Education Coordinating board to establish rules including the minimum coverage standards. The changes apply beginning with the 2010 fall semester. Several institutions raised concerns that students would decide not to enroll in the institution in lieu of getting health coverage. Provisions of the bill would be absorbed within existing resources.
| Source Agencies: | 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 758 Texas State University System, 769 University of North Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KK, RT, GO
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