| 1 | 1 | | 2025S0220-T 03/12/25 |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hancock S.B. No. 2544 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to eligibility for mediation of certain out-of-network |
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| 10 | 10 | | health benefit claims. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 1467.054(a), Insurance Code, is amended |
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| 13 | 13 | | to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) Not later than the 90th day after the date an |
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| 15 | 15 | | out-of-network provider receives an initial payment for a health |
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| 16 | 16 | | care or medical service or supply, an [An] out-of-network provider |
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| 17 | 17 | | or a health benefit plan issuer or administrator may request |
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| 18 | 18 | | mandatory mediation under this subchapter. |
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| 19 | 19 | | SECTION 2. (a) Not later than the 30th day after the |
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| 20 | 20 | | effective date of this Act, the commissioner of insurance shall |
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| 21 | 21 | | adopt rules necessary to implement the changes in law made by this |
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| 22 | 22 | | Act. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a |
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| 24 | 24 | | health care or medical service or supply provided on or after the |
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| 25 | 25 | | 30th day after the effective date of this Act. A health care or |
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| 26 | 26 | | medical service or supply provided before that date is governed by |
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| 27 | 27 | | the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, |
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| 28 | 28 | | and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 30 | 30 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 31 | 31 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 32 | 32 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 33 | 33 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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