HBA-TYH H.B. 1211 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1211
By: Averitt
Insurance
3/4/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Health Insurance Portability and Availability Act (Chapter 26,
Insurance Code) regulates Texas' small and large employer insurance market.
Each small employer carrier must provide the small employer health benefit
plans without regard to health status related factors.  Each small employer
carrier is required to issue the plan chosen by the small employer to each
small employer that elects to be covered under that plan and agrees to
satisfy the other requirements of the plan.  H.B. 1211 clarifies language
with regard to small employer plans offered by health maintenance
organizations in Texas. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Article 26.48(a), Insurance Code, to authorize a health
maintenance organization to offer a state-approved health benefit plan that
complies with this chapter, the Texas Health Maintenance Organization Act
(Chapter 20A, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) (Health Maintenance
Organization Act), Title XIII, Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Section
300e et seq.) (Requirements of Health Maintenance Organizations), and its
subsequent amendments, and rules adopted under these laws, or to offer
another specified plan or contract.  Deletes the specification that the
authorization is not given to the small employer health benefit plans
described by this subchapter.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.