Waiting...

I am not one that waits very patiently; I want to make something happen, but right now we are waiting to see if/when Representative Smithee will schedule a hearing for HB 2946. Representative Coleman has to ask for the hearing since he is the one that sponsored the bill. I have been in touch with his office and this is in the works. We  just have to wait to see when/if the hearing is scheduled. I asked if there was any order or rhyme or reason as to when/how the hearings were scheduled and I was told no, it is just up to the chair of the committee.

What you can do:

• Call Representative Smithee's office (512-463-0702) and ask that he please schedule a hearing for HB 2946 before the House Insurance Committee.
• Watch for updates and be ready to go to Austin and attend the hearing if/when it is set.

Text of HB 2946

Below is the text of HB 2946. Anything underlined is a proposed addition to the existing statute, which is the rest of the non-underlined text. For a printable version, go to the HB 2946 page on the Texas Legislature's website.

82R11984 TRH-F

By:  Coleman                                     H.B. No. 2946

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to group health benefit plan coverage for loss or impairment of speech, language, or hearing.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1.  The heading to Chapter 1365, Insurance Code, is amended to read as follows:

CHAPTER 1365.  LOSS OR IMPAIRMENT OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, OR HEARING

SECTION 2.  Section 1365.003, Insurance Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(a)  A group health benefit plan issuer shall offer and make available under the plan coverage for the necessary care and treatment of loss or impairment of speech, language, or hearing for a covered individual, including a person covered as a dependent under the plan.

(c)  A coverage or premium quotation for the purchase or renewal of a group contract must include an offer of coverage described by Subsection (a).

SECTION 3.  Chapter 1365, Insurance Code, is amended by adding Section 1365.005 to read as follows:

Sec. 1365.005.  COVERAGE REQUIRED.  (a)  A group health benefit plan issuer shall provide coverage under the plan for the necessary care and treatment of loss or impairment of speech, language, or hearing for a person covered as a dependent child under the plan.

(b)  Coverage required under this section:

(1)  may not be less favorable than coverage for a physical illness under the plan; and

(2)  must be subject to the same durational limits, dollar limits, deductibles, and coinsurance factors as coverage for a physical illness under the plan.

SECTION 4.  This Act applies only to an insurance policy that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2012.  A policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed before January 1, 2012, is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.

HB 2946 has been assigned to the Insurance Committee

Yesterday, the bill was read and assigned to the House Insurance Committee. The next step will depend on the chair of the insurance committee, Representative John Smithee, scheduling a hearing for the bill before the committee. Representative Coleman will request the hearing but we can help by calling Rep. Smithee's office (512-463-0702) and asking that he schedule a hearing as well.

Once we have a hearing date, we will need folks willing to go to Austin. If you might be interested in testifying, or if you know someone who has a convincing personal story about the need for insurance coverage for the treatment of speech, language, and hearing impairment, please contact me. Even if you do not want to speak, it is important to have people there in support of this bill. You can come and sign in on a piece of paper registering you support and you never have to say anything; this does make a difference! I am planning on taking my children since this legislation includes a mandate of coverage for dependents - let the representatives look in the faces of the children this bill would affect. Let's pack the hearing and show them that Texans think this issue is important!

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We have a Bill!! HB 2946 has been filed!

WHOOHOO!! Representative Garnet Coleman has filed our bill! You can follow the progress, read the text (as soon as it is posted), and sign up for alerts on the bill's progress here:
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=82R&Bill=HB2946

A huge THANK YOU to Zena Wommack and Representative Kelly Hancock for helping get this far! His office had it drafted and  Ms. Wommack sent the draft over to Representative Garnet Coleman's office so they could file it.

We still have a lot of work to do to make this happen so stay tuned! I will be calling on everyone to make calls, write letters, send emails, and maybe even testify when the time comes!

Filing deadline is Friday!

Well, we still don't have a correct draft back yet. I did get a draft a week ago, but it did not say what we really wanted it to, so we are still waiting. I did go to Austin this past Thursday and spent all day at the capitol talking with staff at different offices of 16 different representatives and senators. I am hopeful that we will be able to get something filed before Friday. Did I mention the filing deadline is FRIDAY? Yes, day after tomorrow?

I will say that every office I visited was very friendly, willing to listen and did take my information and promised to consider the request; even those legislators I know are not friendly to issues like "insurance mandates". You have to understand that those two little words are like foul language to many law makers. It doesn't matter what the coverage is for, they feel that the free market system should be allowed to let employers decide for themselves what coverage they choose and what they pay for - period. The only problem with this model is when you have a low incidence issue like hearing loss, there is not enough market demand to influence coverage and those like my family are left with tough decisions on how to provide treatment our children desperately need but we just cannot afford. I should also add that the ones most often affected are those like us that are working and have some type of private insurance, and we often make too much to qualify for assistance programs; however, we do not make enough to pay out $6,000-$12,000 out of pocket for hearing aids and all that accompanies them (and that's just for one person, remember our family has THREE hearing aid wearers!).

Back to my trip to Austin: I am very grateful for all of the staff that took the time to meet with me. I learned quite a bit about the process and several gave me great advice on how to continue to work on this issue. I do feel we have a chance with a couple of the offices to possibly get a least a version of our draft filed by Friday.

Just as a side note, on my visit to the capitol building, I also learned that the House chambers do not currently have accommodations for people with hearing loss to follow the happenings on the floor. The gallery clearly falls under the guidelines in the ADA and Texas Accessibility Standards which require assisted listening devices or other appropriate accommodations, so I was a bit flabbergasted. After speaking with several different people in different locations in the capitol, I did talk with David Sauceda, the Assistant Sergeant at Arms for the Texas House of Representatives, and he has followed up on my inquiry. An email I received from his yesterday says they are working on a check-out system in order for the public to access the ALD's they have for use by the Representatives and press. He said they have never had anyone from the public ask before.