Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1461 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Parker, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Creighton) H.B. No. 1461
2		-	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021;
3		-	May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on
4		-	Education; May 19, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:
5		-	Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 19, 2021, sent to printer.)
6		-	Click here to see the committee vote
	1	+	87R16053 MEW-F
	2	+	By: Parker, Anchia, Stucky, Talarico, H.B. No. 1461
	3	+	Lambert, et al.
7	4
8	5
9	6		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
10	7		AN ACT
11	8		relating to a study by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
12	9		regarding the use of health reimbursement accounts in conjunction
13	10		with Medicare plans available through the individual marketplace to
14	11		provide health and pharmacy benefit coverage for certain retired
15	12		school employees.
16	13		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
17	14		SECTION 1. STUDY. (a) The Teacher Retirement System of
18	15		Texas shall conduct a study to evaluate the use of health
19	16		reimbursement accounts in conjunction with Medicare plans
20	17		available through the individual marketplace as a means to provide
21	18		health and pharmacy benefit coverage under Chapter 1575, Insurance
22	19		Code, for Medicare-eligible retired school employees and their
23	20		spouses.
24	21		(b) The evaluation must consider:
25	22		(1) using claims experience and premium data from the
26	23		most recent two years, the affordability and availability of
27	24		Medicare plans available through the individual marketplace to
28	25		Medicare-eligible retirees and their spouses compared to health
29	26		benefit plans available to those retirees and their spouses under
30	27		Chapter 1575, Insurance Code;
31	28		(2) provider availability under Medicare plans
32	29		available through the individual marketplace; and
33	30		(3) any other items the Teacher Retirement System of
34	31		Texas determines are relevant to the system's long-term ability to
35	32		provide health and pharmacy benefits to Medicare-eligible retirees
36	33		and their spouses considering the demographic, geographic, and
37	34		socioeconomic characteristics of the Medicare-eligible retirees
38	35		and spouses participating in the group program under Chapter 1575,
39	36		Insurance Code.
40	37		(c) In conducting the study under this section, the Teacher
41	38		Retirement System of Texas:
42	39		(1) may contract or collaborate with entities having
43	40		industry-leading expertise and experience in the individual
44	41		marketplace; and
45	42		(2) shall invite comment and input from interested
46	43		stakeholders, including active and retired school employees.
47	44		SECTION 2. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2021, the
48	45		Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall submit to the governor,
49	46		lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and
50	47		Legislative Budget Board a written report of the study conducted
51	48		under Section 1 of this Act. The report must include the findings
52	49		and legislative recommendations of the Teacher Retirement System of
53	50		Texas.
54	51		SECTION 3. EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires January 1,
55	52		2023.
56	53		SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
57	54		immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
58	55		elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
59	56		Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
60	57		immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
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