BILL ANALYSIS |
C.S.H.B. 2262 |
By: Gooden |
Insurance |
Committee Report (Substituted) |
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Interested parties note that prescriptions for eye drops are filled in the same manner as other medications by only dispensing the amount needed to fill the prescription. Concerns have been raised regarding this practice since many people experience difficulty with the administration of eye drops, which may cause an individual to accidentally waste some of the medication and thus be without necessary medication until the prescription can be refilled. C.S.H.B. 2262 seeks to address the health risks associated with an accidental loss of certain prescription eye drops by providing for accelerated refills of such prescriptions.
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
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RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
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ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 2262 amends the Insurance Code to prohibit a health benefit plan that covers prescription eye drops to treat a chronic eye disease or condition from denying coverage for a refill of the eye drops because the prescription is being refilled before the date established by the plan's general prescription refill guidelines if the original prescription states that additional quantities of the eye drops are needed and the refill does not exceed the total quantity of dosage units authorized by the prescribing provider on the original prescription. The bill requires a health benefit plan to provide coverage for the refill of such prescription eye drops that is dispensed on or before the last day of the prescribed dosage period and not earlier than the 21st day after the date a prescription for a 30-day supply of eye drops is dispensed, not earlier than the 42nd day after the date a prescription for a 60-day supply of eye drops is dispensed, or not earlier than the 63rd day after the date a prescription for a 90-day supply of eye drops is dispensed. The bill applies only to a health benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2018.
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EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2017.
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COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 2262 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
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