AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
S.B. 632 amends current law relating to contracts between optometrists or therapeutic optometrists and health maintenance organizations or insurers.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 1451, Insurance Code, by adding Section 1451.155, as follows:
Sec. 1451.155. CONTRACTS WITH OPTOMETRISTS OR THERAPEUTIC OPTOMETRISTS. (a) Defines "covered product or service" and "vision care product or service" in this section.
(b) Prohibits a contract between an insurer and an optometrist or therapeutic optometrist from limiting the fee the optometrist or therapeutic optometrist is authorized to charge for a product or service that is not a covered product or service.
(c) Prohibits a contract between an insurer and an optometrist or therapeutic optometrist from requiring a discount on a product or service that is not a covered product or service.
SECTION 2. Provides that the change in law made by this Act applies only to a contract entered into or renewed on or after January 1, 2014. Provides that a contract entered into or renewed before January 1, 2014, is governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2013.