Bill Text: TX HB2017 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to nondiscrimination against physicians in payment for telephone consultation services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-26 - Left pending in committee [HB2017 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB2017-Introduced.html
By: Price | H.B. No. 2017 |
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relating to nondiscrimination against physicians in payment for | ||
telephone consultation services. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle F, Title 8, Insurance Code, is amended | ||
by adding Chapter 1459 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 1459. FAIR ACCESS TO TELEPHONE CONSULTATIONS | ||
Sec. 1459.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Employee benefit plan" means a plan, fund or | ||
program established or maintained by an employer or employee | ||
organization. | ||
(2) "Health insurance policy" means any individual, | ||
group, blanket, or franchise insurance policy, insurance | ||
agreement, or group hospital service contract. | ||
(3) "Physician" means an individual licensed to | ||
practice medicine in this state; a professional association | ||
composed solely of individuals licensed to practice medicine in | ||
this state; a single legal entity authorized to practice medicine | ||
in this state that is owned by two or more individuals licensed to | ||
practice medicine in this state; a nonprofit health corporation | ||
certified by the Texas Medical Board under Chapter 162, Occupations | ||
Code; and a partnership composed solely of individuals licensed to | ||
practice medicine in this state. | ||
Sec. 1459.002. NONDISCRIMINATION IN TELEPHONE CONSULTATION | ||
SERVICES. (a) An employee benefit plan or health insurance policy | ||
may not: | ||
(1) prohibit a physician from charging for a telephone | ||
consultation with a covered patient if that employee benefit plan | ||
or health insurance policy allows any other person to charge for | ||
telephone consultations with covered patients; | ||
(2) deny payment to a physician for a medically | ||
necessary telephone consultation with a covered patient if that | ||
employee benefit plan or health insurance policy pays any other | ||
person for telephone consultations with covered patients; or | ||
(3) discriminate against physicians in determining | ||
payment amounts for medically necessary telephone consultations | ||
provided to covered patients if that employee benefit plan or | ||
health insurance policy pays any other person for telephone | ||
consultations with covered patients. | ||
(b) Nothing in this Section shall be construed as | ||
prohibiting an employee benefit plan or health insurance policy | ||
from paying a physician for medically necessary telephone | ||
consultations. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |