Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1329 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R10088 MEW-D
2	2	By: Hinojosa S.B. No. 1329
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to health benefit plan coverage for speech therapy
8	8	services provided through telehealth services.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 1455.002, Insurance Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 1455.002. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. Except as
13	13	otherwise provided by this chapter, this [This] chapter applies
14	14	only to a health benefit plan that:
15	15	(1) provides benefits for medical or surgical expenses
16	16	incurred as a result of a health condition, accident, or sickness,
17	17	including:
18	18	(A) an individual, group, blanket, or franchise
19	19	insurance policy or insurance agreement, a group hospital service
20	20	contract, or an individual or group evidence of coverage that is
21	21	offered by:
22	22	(i) an insurance company;
23	23	(ii) a group hospital service corporation
24	24	operating under Chapter 842;
25	25	(iii) a fraternal benefit society operating
26	26	under Chapter 885;
27	27	(iv) a stipulated premium company operating
28	28	under Chapter 884; or
29	29	(v) a health maintenance organization
30	30	operating under Chapter 843; and
31	31	(B) to the extent permitted by the Employee
32	32	Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. Section 1001 et
33	33	seq.), a health benefit plan that is offered by:
34	34	(i) a multiple employer welfare arrangement
35	35	as defined by Section 3 of that Act; or
36	36	(ii) another analogous benefit
37	37	arrangement; or
38	38	(2) is offered by an approved nonprofit health
39	39	corporation that holds a certificate of authority under Chapter
40	40	844.
41	41	SECTION 2. Chapter 1455, Insurance Code, is amended by
42	42	adding Section 1455.0041 to read as follows:
43	43	Sec. 1455.0041. COVERAGE FOR SPEECH THERAPY TELEHEALTH
44	44	SERVICES. (a) This section applies to a health benefit plan
45	45	described by Section 1455.002.
46	46	(b) Notwithstanding any other law, this section applies to:
47	47	(1) a standard health benefit plan issued under
48	48	Chapter 1507;
49	49	(2) a basic coverage plan under Chapter 1551;
50	50	(3) a basic plan under Chapter 1575;
51	51	(4) a primary care coverage plan under Chapter 1579;
52	52	(5) a plan providing basic coverage under Chapter
53	53	1601;
54	54	(6) group health coverage made available by a school
55	55	district in accordance with Section 22.004, Education Code;
56	56	(7) the state Medicaid program, including the Medicaid
57	57	managed care program operated under Chapter 533, Government Code;
58	58	and
59	59	(8) the child health plan program under Chapter 62,
60	60	Health and Safety Code.
61	61	(c) A health benefit plan that provides coverage for speech
62	62	therapy services must provide coverage for speech therapy services
63	63	provided through a telehealth service in the same manner as
64	64	coverage required under Section 1455.004.
65	65	(d) A health benefit plan must reimburse a preferred or
66	66	contracted health professional for providing speech therapy
67	67	services to a covered patient as a telehealth service on the same
68	68	basis and at least at the same rate that the issuer provides
69	69	reimbursement to that health professional for speech therapy
70	70	services in an in-person setting.
71	71	SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
72	72	to a health benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or
73	73	renewed on or after January 1, 2022. A health benefit plan that is
74	74	delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed before January 1, 2022,
75	75	is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the
76	76	effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for
77	77	that purpose.
78	78	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.