Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

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Fire Loss and Insurance Fraud - H.B. 186
by Representative Burnam
Senate Sponsor: Senator Shapleigh
INSURANCE
77 th Texas Legislature
Under current law, fire marshals, fire chiefs, and police officers are authorized to request insurance
companies to release certain information regarding a fire loss of $1,000 or more as a means to investigate
possible insurance fraud.
Expands the insurance fraud investigative powers of police officers, fire chiefs, and fire marshals to include
the investigation of possible insurance fraud in cases of burglary, robbery, and death claims.
Requires the officials and department personnel receiving information that relates to the investigation of the
claim loss to maintain the information as confidential until the release of information is required during a
civil or criminal proceeding.
Small Employers and Affordable Health Insurance - H.B. 471
by Representative Averitt, et al.
Senate Sponsor: Senator Harris
Prohibits a small employer carrier from implementing agent commission schedules that vary the level of
agent commissions based on the size of the group, or otherwise reduce access to small employer health
benefit plans.
Hospitalists and Health Maintenance Organizations - H.B. 606
by Representative Smithee, et al.
Senate Sponsor: Senator Nelson
Hospitalists are physicians who practice primarily in the hospital setting and assume primary responsibility
for the care of other physicians’ patients during their hospitalization.
Provides that an insurer or health maintenance organization may not mandate a hospitalist program.
Insurance Carriers and Registered First Assistant Nurses - H.B. 803
by Representative Junell
Senate Sponsor: Senator Duncan
A registered first assistant nurse (RNFA) is a nursing professional who renders direct care to surgical
patients before, during, and after surgery. RNFAs perform the same first assisting duties as surgeons,
physicians, physician assistants, and some nurse practitioners, all of whom are authorized to receive
Medicare reimbursement for their services.
Prohibits an insurance company from refusing to contract with an RNFA or to cover first assisting services
because they were performed by an RNFA.
Senate Research Center 174