| 1 | 1 | | 85R8580 LED-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Campbell S.B. No. 1613 |
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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 assignment of health insurance benefits to a |
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| 8 | 8 | | physician or health care provider. |
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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. Section 1204.053, Insurance Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), an assignment of |
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| 13 | 13 | | benefits by a covered person to a physician or other health care |
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| 14 | 14 | | provider authorizes the physician or health care provider to take |
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| 15 | 15 | | any action the covered person is authorized to take to recover |
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| 16 | 16 | | reimbursement from the insurer for benefits under the health |
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| 17 | 17 | | insurance policy or any law or rule applicable to the policy, |
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| 18 | 18 | | including an action under: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) Chapter 541, 542, or 1467; or |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) Chapter 17, Business & Commerce Code. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (d) An assignment of benefits may limit the authority of a |
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| 22 | 22 | | physician or health care provider to take one or more specific |
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| 23 | 23 | | actions otherwise authorized under Subsection (c). |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Section 1204.053, Insurance Code, as amended by |
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| 25 | 25 | | this Act, applies to an assignment of benefits made on or after the |
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| 26 | 26 | | effective date of this Act. An assignment of benefits made before |
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| 27 | 27 | | that date is governed by the law as it existed immediately before |
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| 28 | 28 | | the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect |
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| 29 | 29 | | for that purpose. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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