Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No | Negative | Neutral | Neutral | Negative | Neutral |
Based on information provided by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), the bill could result in 200 additional filings. The fee for each additional filing is $100, which would result in a one-time revenue gain $20,000 to be deposited to General Revenue-Dedicated Texas Department of Insurance Fund 36 (Fund 36). Since Fund 36 is a self-leveling account, this analysis also assumes that any additional revenue resulting from the implementation of the bill would accumulate in account fund balances and that TDI would adjust the assessment of the maintenance tax or other fees accordingly in the following year.
Additionally, based on information provided by TDI, Teacher Retirement System, Employees Retirement System, Texas A&M University System Administration, and UT System Administration, it is assumed that all duties and responsibilities necessary to implement the provisions of the bill could be accomplished within existing resources.
According to the Teacher Retirement System, the provisions of the bill could result in a cost of $7.0 million annually for the TRS-ActiveCare program, a health benefit plan available to employees of public school districts and charter schools. Increased program costs would be passed along through plan design changes or increased premiums paid by school districts or participating employees. The level of increase may vary by the employee's plan choice within TRS-ActiveCare.
Current law requires a health benefit plan to provide
coverage to an enrollee for all generally recognized services prescribed in
relation to autism spectrum disorder by the enrolleeās primary care physician
in the treatment plan recommended by that physician. The generally recognized
services currently include:
The bill would expand the generally recognized services to
incorporate recreational therapy.
Our issue with HB 3986 is that it would expand minimum health coverage requirements.
This legislation
represents yet another example of the government interfering with private businesses.
The high cost of health care and health insurance is partly the result of
government interference in the form of mandates. Every time the government
tinkers with the system to take choices away from providers and patients, costs
tend to rise.
Creating new state
mandates on private enterprise abridges our limited government and free market
principles. Therefore, we oppose HB 3986.
It is worth noting that
Texas has one of the highest number of insurance mandates in the U.S.