HBA-NLM H.B. 1924 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1924 By: Averitt Insurance 3/7/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool (pool) was created by the 71st Legislature and made operational by the 75th Legislature to provide uninsurable individuals access to health insurance for medical conditions or diagnoses that result in ineligibility for private insurance coverage. The pool is funded by assessing insurers providing health insurance coverage in this state, including the assessment of insurers providing long-term care coverage which is not offered under the pool. Federal High Risk Pool regulations specifically exempt long-term care and disability insurance from the list of coverage assessed. H.B. 1924 exempts long-term care and disability insurance from the list of coverage assessed in the pool. This bill also specifies that neither long-term care insurance nor disability insurance is included in the term "health insurance" under Article 3.77 (Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool), Insurance Code. 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 Section 2(7), Article 3.77, Insurance Code, to specify that neither long-term care insurance nor disability insurance is included in the term "health insurance." SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.