| 1 | 1 | | 86R5898 MEW-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Price H.B. No. 1291 |
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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 prohibited practices by a life insurance company |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to an individual's prescription for or obtainment of an |
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| 9 | 9 | | opioid antagonist. |
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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. Chapter 1101, Insurance Code, is amended by |
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| 12 | 12 | | adding Subchapter E to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER E. PROHIBITED PRACTICES RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION FOR OR |
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| 14 | 14 | | OBTAINMENT OF OPIOID ANTAGONIST |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 1101.201. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "opioid |
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| 16 | 16 | | antagonist" means any drug that binds to opioid receptors and |
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| 17 | 17 | | blocks or otherwise inhibits the effects of opioids acting on those |
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| 18 | 18 | | receptors. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Sec. 1101.202. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This |
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| 20 | 20 | | subchapter applies to a life insurance policy: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) issued or delivered in this state; or |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) issued by a life insurance company organized in |
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| 23 | 23 | | this state. |
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| 24 | 24 | | Sec. 1101.203. PROHIBITION. (a) Except as provided by |
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| 25 | 25 | | Subsection (b), a life insurance company may not, because an |
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| 26 | 26 | | individual has been prescribed or has obtained through a standing |
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| 27 | 27 | | order an opioid antagonist: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) deny coverage to the individual; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) refuse to renew the individual's coverage; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) cancel the individual's coverage; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (4) limit the amount, extent, or kind of coverage |
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| 32 | 32 | | available to the individual; or |
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| 33 | 33 | | (5) charge the individual or a group to which the |
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| 34 | 34 | | individual belongs a rate that is different from the rate charged to |
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| 35 | 35 | | other individuals or groups, respectively, for the same coverage. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (b) Subsection (a) does not apply to an individual who has a |
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| 37 | 37 | | demonstrated history of drug abuse. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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