Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB654 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Seliger, et al. S.B. No. 654
2		-	(Smithee, Howard)
	1	+	S.B. No. 654
3	2
4	3
5		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	4		AN ACT
7	5		relating to the participation of an advanced practice registered
8	6		nurse as a primary care or network provider for certain
9	7		governmental and other health benefit plans.
10	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	9		SECTION 1. Section 533.005, Government Code, is amended by
12	10		adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
13	11		(d) For purposes of Subsection (a)(13), an advanced
14	12		practice registered nurse may be included as a primary care
15	13		provider in a managed care organization's provider network
16	14		regardless of whether the physician supervising the advanced
17	15		practice registered nurse is in the provider network. This
18	16		subsection may not be construed as authorizing a managed care
19	17		organization to supervise or control the practice of medicine as
20	18		prohibited by Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code.
21	19		SECTION 2. Section 62.1551, Health and Safety Code, is
22	20		amended to read as follows:
23	21		Sec. 62.1551. INCLUSION OF CERTAIN HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN
24	22		PROVIDER NETWORKS. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, including
25	23		Sections 843.312 and 1301.052, Insurance Code, the executive
26	24		commissioner shall adopt rules to require a managed care
27	25		organization or other entity to ensure that advanced practice
28	26		registered nurses and physician assistants are available as primary
29	27		care providers in the organization's or entity's provider network.
30	28		The rules must require advanced practice registered nurses and
31	29		physician assistants to be treated in the same manner as primary
32	30		care physicians with regard to:
33	31		(1) selection and assignment as primary care
34	32		providers;
35	33		(2) inclusion as primary care providers in the
36	34		provider network; and
37	35		(3) inclusion as primary care providers in any
38	36		provider network directory maintained by the organization or
39	37		entity.
40	38		(b) For purposes of Subsection (a), an advanced practice
41	39		registered nurse may be included as a primary care provider in a
42	40		managed care organization's or entity's provider network regardless
43	41		of whether the physician supervising the advanced practice
44	42		registered nurse is in the provider network.
45	43		(c) This section may not be construed as authorizing a
46	44		managed care organization or other entity to supervise or control
47	45		the practice of medicine as prohibited by Subtitle B, Title 3,
48	46		Occupations Code.
49	47		SECTION 3. Section 32.024(gg), Human Resources Code, is
50	48		amended to read as follows:
51	49		(gg) Notwithstanding any other law, including Sections
52	50		843.312 and 1301.052, Insurance Code, the commission shall ensure
53	51		that advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants
54	52		may be selected by and assigned to recipients of medical assistance
55	53		as the primary care providers of those recipients regardless of
56	54		whether the physician supervising the advanced practice registered
57	55		nurse is included in any directory of providers of medical
58	56		assistance maintained by the commission. This subsection may not
59	57		be construed as authorizing the commission to supervise or control
60	58		the practice of medicine as prohibited by Subtitle B, Title 3,
61	59		Occupations Code. The commission must require that advanced
62	60		practice registered nurses and physician assistants be treated in
63	61		the same manner as primary care physicians with regard to:
64	62		(1) selection and assignment as primary care
65	63		providers; and
66	64		(2) inclusion as primary care providers in any
67	65		directory of providers of medical assistance maintained by the
68	66		commission.
69	67		SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act
70	68		a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
71	69		federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
72	70		the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
73	71		authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
74	72		waiver or authorization is granted.
75	73		SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
	74	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	75	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	76	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 654 passed the Senate on
	77	+	May 8, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3.
	78	+	______________________________
	79	+	Secretary of the Senate
	80	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 654 passed the House on
	81	+	May 22, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, one
	82	+	present not voting.
	83	+	______________________________
	84	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	85	+	Approved:
	86	+	______________________________
	87	+	Date
	88	+	______________________________
	89	+	Governor