| 1 | 1 | | 81R3265 KCR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: McClendon H.B. No. 505 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the creation of the health benefit plan innovations |
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| 8 | 8 | | program in the Texas Department of Insurance. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 5, Insurance Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | by adding Chapter 525 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | CHAPTER 525. HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN INNOVATIONS PROGRAM |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 525.001. PROGRAM ESTABLISHED. (a) The department |
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| 14 | 14 | | shall develop and implement a health benefit plan innovations |
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| 15 | 15 | | program to study the number of uninsured individuals in this state, |
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| 16 | 16 | | the reasons those individuals are uninsured, and possible solutions |
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| 17 | 17 | | that would expand access to affordable health benefit plan coverage |
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| 18 | 18 | | in this state. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) The department shall use department employees already |
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| 20 | 20 | | employed in the research and analysis area of the life/health |
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| 21 | 21 | | division of the department to implement the program. The |
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| 22 | 22 | | department may not hire full-time employees whose primary job |
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| 23 | 23 | | functions would solely be implementation of the program. |
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| 24 | 24 | | Sec. 525.002. PROGRAM COMPONENTS. (a) The program |
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| 25 | 25 | | implemented under this chapter must: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) collect and analyze data concerning the number, |
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| 27 | 27 | | age, and demographic characteristics of uninsured individuals in |
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| 28 | 28 | | this state; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) identify the reasons why individuals in this state |
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| 30 | 30 | | are uninsured; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) examine and evaluate the effectiveness of programs |
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| 32 | 32 | | implemented in other states to reduce the number of uninsured |
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| 33 | 33 | | residents in those states; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (4) monitor and evaluate the health benefit market in |
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| 35 | 35 | | this state and determine whether residents of this state have |
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| 36 | 36 | | sufficient access to a variety of health benefit plan products to |
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| 37 | 37 | | ensure adequate health benefit plan coverage; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (5) make recommendations to the legislature |
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| 39 | 39 | | concerning programs or initiatives to be implemented in this state |
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| 40 | 40 | | to reduce the number of uninsured residents in this state. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (b) The department shall coordinate program components that |
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| 42 | 42 | | involve market and cost research or data collection and analysis |
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| 43 | 43 | | with health benefit plan issuers and the Health and Human Services |
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| 44 | 44 | | Commission to ensure the collection and analysis of complete and |
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| 45 | 45 | | accurate information. |
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| 46 | 46 | | Sec. 525.003. REPORT. The department shall include in its |
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| 47 | 47 | | biennial report to the legislature under Section 32.022 the |
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| 48 | 48 | | program's findings concerning the information and recommendations |
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| 49 | 49 | | described by Section 525.002. |
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| 50 | 50 | | Sec. 525.004. FUNDING. The department may accept gifts and |
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| 51 | 51 | | grants from any party, including a health benefit plan issuer or a |
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| 52 | 52 | | foundation associated with a health benefit plan issuer, to assist |
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| 53 | 53 | | with funding the program. The department shall adopt rules |
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| 54 | 54 | | governing acceptance of donations that are consistent with Chapter |
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| 55 | 55 | | 575, Government Code. Before adopting rules under this section, |
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| 56 | 56 | | the department shall: |
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| 57 | 57 | | (1) submit the proposed rules to the Texas Ethics |
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| 58 | 58 | | Commission for review; and |
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| 59 | 59 | | (2) consider that commission's recommendations |
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| 60 | 60 | | regarding the proposed rules. |
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| 61 | 61 | | Sec. 525.005. RULES. The commissioner may adopt rules as |
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| 62 | 62 | | necessary to implement this chapter. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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