| 4 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 7 | | relating to prohibited practices by a life insurance company |
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| 6 | 8 | | relating to an individual's prescription for or obtainment of an |
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| 7 | 9 | | opioid antagonist. |
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| 8 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 1101, Insurance Code, is amended by |
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| 10 | 12 | | adding Subchapter E to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER E. PROHIBITED PRACTICES RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION FOR OR |
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| 12 | 14 | | OBTAINMENT OF OPIOID ANTAGONIST |
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| 13 | 15 | | Sec. 1101.201. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "opioid |
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| 14 | 16 | | antagonist" means any drug that binds to opioid receptors and |
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| 15 | 17 | | blocks or otherwise inhibits the effects of opioids acting on those |
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| 16 | 18 | | receptors to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. |
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| 17 | 19 | | Sec. 1101.202. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This |
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| 18 | 20 | | subchapter applies to a life insurance policy: |
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| 19 | 21 | | (1) issued or delivered in this state; or |
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| 20 | 22 | | (2) issued by a life insurance company organized in |
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| 21 | 23 | | this state. |
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| 22 | 24 | | Sec. 1101.203. PROHIBITION. A life insurance company may |
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| 23 | 25 | | not, based solely on whether an individual has been prescribed or |
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| 24 | 26 | | has obtained through a standing order an opioid antagonist: |
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| 25 | 27 | | (1) deny coverage to the individual; |
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| 26 | 28 | | (2) limit the amount, extent, or kind of coverage |
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| 27 | 29 | | available to the individual; or |
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| 28 | 30 | | (3) charge the individual or a group to which the |
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| 29 | 31 | | individual belongs a rate that is different from the rate charged to |
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| 30 | 32 | | other individuals or groups, respectively, for the same coverage, |
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| 31 | 33 | | unless the charge is based on sound underwriting or actuarial |
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| 32 | 34 | | principles reasonably related to actual or anticipated loss |
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| 33 | 35 | | experience for a particular risk. |
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| 34 | 36 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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| 35 | | - | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 36 | | - | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 37 | | - | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 437 passed the Senate on |
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| 38 | | - | April 26, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1. |
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| 39 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 40 | | - | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 41 | | - | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 437 passed the House on |
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| 42 | | - | May 21, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 129, Nays 16, one |
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| 43 | | - | present not voting. |
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| 44 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 45 | | - | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 46 | | - | Approved: |
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| 47 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 48 | | - | Date |
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| 49 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | | - | Governor |
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