Bill

HB 1880

86(R) - 2019
House Business & Industry
House Business & Industry

Vote Recommendation

No
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Negative
  • Neutral

Author(s)

Sarah Davis

Bill Caption

Relating to health benefit plan provider networks; providing an administrative penalty; authorizing an assessment.

Fiscal Notes

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Bill Analysis

HB 1880 would require physicians and health care providers to maintain a directory of health care providers and their specialties. These directors would be updated by deadlines specified in the bill. In addition, the bill would also require providers to make the directory public and conspicuous while also logging reported mistakes in the directory. 

Health benefit plan issuers would be required to update their directory to reflect a change in a physician's or provider's network participation status not later than two business days after the effective date of the change.

If the termination of a physician's or health care provider's contract was not at the request of the physician or health care provider, the health benefit provider would be required to update the directory to reflect the change not later than two business days after the later of the date of a formal recommendation or the effective date of the termination. A system for an individual to report an inaccuracy would be required. The bill prescribes methods for handling inaccurate information and creating and maintaining a log that records all reports regarding inaccurate network directories or listings. 

Network adequacy examinations would be performed by the Texas Department of Insurance. The insurer examined would be required to pay the costs of the examination in an amount to be determined by the commissioner. The bill does not place a cap on this fee. 

Note that this is a summary of some major provisions of the bill, not a comprehensive section by section analysis. For more detail on the amount of new regulation contained in this bill we recommend reading the bill.

Vote Recommendation Notes

Texas Action opposes HB 1880 which proposes significant new regulation that is not in alignment with the principle of limited government.