Texas House Bill HB4289

Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Caption

Relating to required procedures regarding the ranking of physicians by health benefit plan issuers.

Impact

If enacted, the bill will significantly impact the Texas Insurance Code by introducing Chapter 1460, a framework aimed at enhancing the accountability of health benefit plan issuers in regard to physician ranking. By requiring health plans to provide due process before publicizing any comparisons or rankings, it serves to protect physicians from unfair or misleading evaluations. Furthermore, physicians would have the right to be heard in any disputes regarding their ranking, thereby fostering a more equitable healthcare environment in Texas.

Summary

House Bill 4289 seeks to establish required procedures regarding how health benefit plan issuers rank physicians. Specifically, it prohibits health benefit plans from disseminating physician performance data that compares or ranks practitioners without following specific guidelines. These guidelines mandate that health plans must disclose the evaluation criteria to physicians prior to their assessment period and must make available the data used for such comparisons to allow for verification by the physician. This aims to ensure transparency in how physicians are evaluated and ranked by insurers, promoting fair evaluation processes.

Contention

Despite the potential benefits, the bill may face opposition from insurance companies who might argue that the stringent requirements could complicate their ability to effectively manage and rank healthcare providers. Critics may voice concerns regarding whether the procedural protections for doctors could hinder the insurance companies' operational efficiency or result in increased operational costs. Supporters, on the other hand, would advocate that these measures are necessary to prevent abuses inherent in ranking systems that can impact physicians' careers and ultimately patient care.