| 1 | 1 | | 85R11260 PMO-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Burrows H.B. No. 1994 |
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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 a joint interim committee to study |
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| 8 | 8 | | health care costs and the transparency of health care costs and |
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| 9 | 9 | | health benefits. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. CREATION OF JOINT INTERIM COMMITTEE. (a) A |
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| 12 | 12 | | joint interim committee is created to study, review, and report on |
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| 13 | 13 | | health care costs and the transparency of health care costs and |
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| 14 | 14 | | health benefits, as provided by Section 2 of this Act, and propose |
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| 15 | 15 | | reforms under that section to reduce health care costs and increase |
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| 16 | 16 | | transparency of health care costs and health benefits, including |
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| 17 | 17 | | health benefits or coverage provided under Chapters 1551, 1575, |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1579, and 1601, Insurance Code. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) The joint interim committee shall be composed of three |
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| 20 | 20 | | senators appointed by the lieutenant governor and three members of |
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| 21 | 21 | | the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house |
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| 22 | 22 | | of representatives. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of |
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| 24 | 24 | | representatives shall each designate a co-chair from among the |
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| 25 | 25 | | joint interim committee members. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (d) The joint interim committee shall convene at the joint |
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| 27 | 27 | | call of the co-chairs. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (e) The joint interim committee has all other powers and |
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| 29 | 29 | | duties provided to a special or select committee by the rules of the |
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| 30 | 30 | | senate and house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, |
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| 31 | 31 | | Government Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees |
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| 32 | 32 | | on administration. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 2. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING CERTAIN HEALTH CARE |
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| 34 | 34 | | COSTS AND TRANSPARENCY OF HEALTH CARE COSTS AND HEALTH BENEFITS. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (a) The joint interim committee created by Section 1 of this Act |
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| 36 | 36 | | shall study data and other information, including aggregate |
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| 37 | 37 | | reimbursement rates submitted to the Texas Department of Insurance |
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| 38 | 38 | | under Subchapter H, Chapter 38, Insurance Code, to examine and |
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| 39 | 39 | | analyze health care costs and the transparency of health care costs |
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| 40 | 40 | | and health benefits, including health benefits or coverage provided |
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| 41 | 41 | | under Chapters 1551, 1575, 1579, and 1601, Insurance Code. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (b) The joint interim committee shall propose reforms based |
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| 43 | 43 | | on the study required under Subsection (a) of this section to reduce |
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| 44 | 44 | | health care costs and increase the transparency of health care |
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| 45 | 45 | | costs and health benefits. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (c) The joint interim committee shall prepare a report of |
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| 47 | 47 | | the findings and proposed reforms that maintains confidentiality in |
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| 48 | 48 | | accordance with Section 38.356, Insurance Code. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 3. COMMITTEE FINDINGS AND PROPOSED REFORMS. (a) |
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| 50 | 50 | | Not later than January 15, 2019, the joint interim committee |
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| 51 | 51 | | created under Section 1 of this Act shall submit to the lieutenant |
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| 52 | 52 | | governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the |
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| 53 | 53 | | governor the report prepared under Section 2 of this Act. The joint |
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| 54 | 54 | | interim committee shall include in its report recommendations of |
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| 55 | 55 | | specific statutory and regulatory changes that appear necessary |
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| 56 | 56 | | from the committee's study under Section 2 of this Act. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (b) Not later than the 60th day after the effective date of |
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| 58 | 58 | | this Act, the lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of |
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| 59 | 59 | | representatives shall appoint the members of the joint interim |
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| 60 | 60 | | committee in accordance with Section 1 of this Act. |
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| 61 | 61 | | SECTION 4. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The joint interim |
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| 62 | 62 | | committee created under Section 1 of this Act is abolished and this |
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| 63 | 63 | | Act expires January 20, 2019. |
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| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 65 | 65 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 66 | 66 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 67 | 67 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 68 | 68 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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