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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to prohibition of notification forms from health benefit |
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plan issuers intended to intimidate patients; adding a provision |
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subject to a criminal penalty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 843.363, Insurance Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) A health maintenance organization may not, as a |
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condition of payment with a physician, dentist, or provider, or in |
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any other manner, require a physician, dentist, or provider to |
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provide a notification form stating that the physician, dentist, or |
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provider is not a participating provider to a current, prospective, |
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or former patient, or a person designated by the patient, if the |
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form contains additional information that is intended, or is |
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otherwise required to be presented in a manner that is intended, to |
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intimidate the patient. |
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SECTION 2. Section 1301.067, Insurance Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) An insurer may not, as a condition of payment with a |
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physician or health care provider or in any other manner, require a |
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physician or health care provider to provide a notification form |
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stating that the physician or health care provider is not a |
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preferred provider to a current, prospective, or former patient, or |
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a person designated by the patient, if the form contains additional |
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information that is intended, or is otherwise required to be |
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presented in a manner that is intended, to intimidate the patient. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |