83R4971 AJA-F
 
  By: Ellis S.B. No. 470
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to reimbursement under preferred provider benefit plans
  for services provided by licensed podiatrists.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 1301.062, Insurance Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 1301.062.  PREFERRED PROVIDER CONTRACTS BETWEEN
  INSURERS AND PODIATRISTS. (a) In this section, "podiatrist" means
  a podiatrist licensed by the Texas State Board of Podiatric Medical
  Examiners under Chapter 202, Occupations Code.
         (b)  A preferred provider contract between an insurer and a
  podiatrist [licensed by the Texas State Board of Podiatric Medical
  Examiners] must provide that:
               (1)  the podiatrist may request a copy of the coding
  guidelines and payment schedules applicable to the compensation
  that the podiatrist will receive under the contract for services;
               (2)  the insurer shall provide a copy of the coding
  guidelines and payment schedules not later than the 30th day after
  the date of the podiatrist's request;
               (3)  the insurer may not unilaterally make material
  retroactive revisions to the coding guidelines and payment
  schedules; [and]
               (4)  the podiatrist may, practicing within the scope of
  the law regulating podiatry, furnish x-rays and nonprefabricated
  orthotics covered by the health insurance policy; and
               (5)  the methodology used to compute the amount of
  payment or reimbursement for services or procedures covered by the
  contract is the same as the methodology used to compute the amount
  of payment or reimbursement when the services or procedures are
  provided by a physician.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a preferred provider contract entered into or renewed on or after
  January 1, 2014. A contract entered into or renewed before January
  1, 2014, is governed by the law applicable to the contract
  immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.