Bill Text: TX SB1786 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the coverage by health benefit plans of expenses or procedures that violate certain religious convictions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-23 - Referred to State Affairs [SB1786 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SB1786-Introduced.html
82R3825 TJS-D | ||
By: Patrick | S.B. No. 1786 |
|
||
|
||
relating to the coverage by health benefit plans of expenses or | ||
procedures that violate certain religious convictions. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 8, Insurance Code, is amended | ||
by adding Chapter 1219 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 1219. COVERAGE FOR HEALTH CARE SERVICE THAT VIOLATES | ||
CERTAIN RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS | ||
Sec. 1219.001. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. (a) This chapter | ||
applies only to a health benefit plan that provides benefits for | ||
medical or surgical expenses incurred as a result of a health | ||
condition, accident, or sickness, including an individual, group, | ||
blanket, or franchise insurance policy or insurance agreement, a | ||
group hospital service contract, or an individual or group evidence | ||
of coverage or similar coverage document that is offered by: | ||
(1) an insurance company; | ||
(2) a group hospital service corporation operating | ||
under Chapter 842; | ||
(3) a fraternal benefit society operating under | ||
Chapter 885; | ||
(4) a stipulated premium company operating under | ||
Chapter 884; | ||
(5) an exchange operating under Chapter 942; | ||
(6) a health maintenance organization operating under | ||
Chapter 843; | ||
(7) a multiple employer welfare arrangement that holds | ||
a certificate of authority under Chapter 846; or | ||
(8) an approved nonprofit health corporation that | ||
holds a certificate of authority under Chapter 844. | ||
(b) This chapter applies to group health coverage made | ||
available by a school district in accordance with Section 22.004, | ||
Education Code. | ||
(c) Notwithstanding Section 172.014, Local Government Code, | ||
or any other law, this chapter applies to health and accident | ||
coverage provided by a risk pool created under Chapter 172, Local | ||
Government Code. | ||
(d) Notwithstanding any provision in Chapter 1551, 1575, | ||
1579, or 1601 or any other law, this chapter applies to: | ||
(1) a basic coverage plan under Chapter 1551; | ||
(2) a basic plan under Chapter 1575; | ||
(3) a primary care coverage plan under Chapter 1579; | ||
and | ||
(4) basic coverage under Chapter 1601. | ||
(e) Notwithstanding Section 1501.251 or any other law, this | ||
chapter applies to coverage under a small or large employer health | ||
benefit plan subject to Chapter 1501. | ||
(f) Notwithstanding Section 1507.003 or 1507.053, this | ||
chapter applies to a standard health benefit plan provided under | ||
Chapter 1507. | ||
Sec. 1219.002. RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS. (a) A health | ||
benefit plan may limit or exclude coverage for any medical, | ||
surgical, or other health care service that violates the religious | ||
convictions of the issuer. | ||
(b) A policyholder or sponsor of a group health benefit plan | ||
or an employer or other entity that provides health benefit plan | ||
coverage for its employees or members may decline or refuse to | ||
purchase health benefit plan coverage that violates the religious | ||
convictions of the policyholder, sponsor, employer, or other | ||
entity. | ||
(c) An issuer of a health benefit plan that excludes or | ||
limits coverage for a medical, surgical, or other health care | ||
service under Subsection (a) shall state the exclusion or | ||
limitation in: | ||
(1) the plan's coverage document; | ||
(2) the plan's statement of benefits; | ||
(3) plan brochures; and | ||
(4) other informational materials for the plan. | ||
(d) A policyholder, sponsor, employer, or other entity that | ||
declines or refuses to purchase health benefit plan coverage under | ||
Subsection (b) shall provide written notice of the declination or | ||
refusal to the employees or members of the policyholder, sponsor, | ||
employer, or other entity. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act applies only to a health benefit plan | ||
that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after | ||
January 1, 2012. A health benefit plan that is delivered, issued | ||
for delivery, or renewed before January 1, 2012, is governed by the | ||
law as it existed immediately before the effective date of this Act, | ||
and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |