Honorable Eddie Lucio III, Chair, House Committee on Insurance
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB217 by Gervin-Hawkins (relating to health benefit plan coverage for hair prostheses for cancer patients.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Insurance Code to require that health benefit plans provide coverage for hair prostheses for cancer patients. The benefit amount for the coverage required must be $100 for a hair prosthesis or the repair or replacement of a hair prosthesis. The bill would prohibit health benefits plans from charging an additional premium for the coverage, but would allow coverage to be subject to annual deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.
It is assumed the new benefit would become available in Medicaid in fiscal year 2021 due to the time needed to implement the policy change. It is assumed any costs to the Medicaid program, including costs of implementation, could be absorbed within the available resources of the Health and Human Services Commission.
Based on information provided by the Texas Department of Insurance, Employees Retirement System, Teacher Retirement System, The University of Texas System Administration, and Texas A&M University System Administration, this analysis assumes that the duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2019; however, the provisions of the bill would only apply to a health benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2020.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
323 Teacher Retirement System, 327 Employees Retirement System, 454 Department of Insurance, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration