Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

      
            88R770 BEE-D
         
		By: Shaheen
            H.B. No. 2551
         
               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
            
               AN ACT
            
            relating to the licensing and regulation of associate physicians 
         
            and the authority of an insured to select an associate physician 
         
            under the insured's health insurance policy; requiring an 
         
            occupational license.
         
                   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         
                   SECTION 1.  Chapter 155, Occupations Code, is amended by 
         
            adding Subchapter E to read as follows:
         
            SUBCHAPTER E.  ASSOCIATE PHYSICIAN 
         
                   Sec. 155.201.  DEFINITION.  In this subchapter, "associate 
         
            physician" means an individual licensed under this subchapter to 
         
            practice medicine under a collaborative practice agreement as 
         
            described by Section 155.204.
         
                   Sec. 155.202.  RULES.  The board shall adopt rules in 
         
            accordance with this subchapter relating to the licensing and 
         
            regulation of associate physicians.
         
                   Sec. 155.203.  LICENSE ISSUANCE.  On application, the board 
         
            shall issue a license to practice medicine under this subchapter to 
         
            an applicant who:
         
                         (1)  is a resident of this state and is a United States 
         
            citizen or a legal permanent resident;
         
                         (2)  has proficiency in the English language;
         
                         (3)  is a graduate of a board-approved medical or 
         
            osteopathic medical school;
         
                         (4)  has passed the first and second components of the 
         
            United States Medical Licensing Examination or the equivalent 
         
            components of another board-approved licensing examination 
         
            described by Section 155.0511:
         
                               (A)  not earlier than two years before the date 
         
            the applicant submits an application for licensure as an associate 
         
            physician; and
         
                               (B)  not more than three years after the date of 
         
            the applicant's graduation from a medical school or osteopathic 
         
            medical school; and
         
                         (5)  either:
         
                               (A)  has not completed a board-approved 
         
            postgraduate residency program; or
         
                               (B)  has completed a board-approved postgraduate 
         
            residency program and passed the second component of the United 
         
            States Medical Licensing Examination or the equivalent component of 
         
            another board-approved medical licensing examination described by 
         
            Section 155.0511 at any time before the date the applicant submits 
         
            an application for licensure as an associate physician, if on the 
         
            second anniversary of the date of completion of the examination 
         
            requirement the applicant was serving as a resident physician in a 
         
            board-approved postgraduate residency program in the United States 
         
            and continued to do so until not earlier than the 30th day before 
         
            the date the applicant submits an application for licensure as an 
         
            associate physician.
         
                   Sec. 155.204.  COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE AGREEMENT REQUIRED.  
         
            (a)  An associate physician may not practice as an associate 
         
            physician unless the associate physician has entered into a 
         
            collaborative practice agreement with a physician under this 
         
            subtitle.
         
                   (b)  An associate physician must enter into a collaborative 
         
            practice agreement within the period prescribed by board rule.
         
                   (c)  A collaborative practice agreement under this section:
         
                         (1)  must be in writing;
         
                         (2)  may be in the form of a written agreement, 
         
            jointly-agreed protocols, or standing orders for the delivery of 
         
            health care services; and
         
                         (3)  may delegate to an associate physician the 
         
            authority to administer or dispense drugs and provide treatment:
         
                               (A)  within the scope of practice of the associate 
         
            physician as specified in the agreement; and
         
                               (B)  consistent with the skill, training, and 
         
            competence of the associate physician and the collaborating 
         
            physician.
         
                   Sec. 155.205.  LIABILITY OF COLLABORATING PHYSICIAN.  A 
         
            physician who enters into a collaborative practice agreement with 
         
            an associate physician under Section 155.204 is responsible at all <
Statutes affected: 
Introduced: Insurance Code 1451.001, Subchapter C, Chapter , Insurance Code 155.204 (Subchapter C, Chapter , Insurance Code 155, Insurance Code 1451)



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the licensing and regulation of associate physicians
	and the authority of an insured to select an associate physician
	under the insured's health insurance policy; requiring an
	occupational license.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Chapter 155, Occupations Code, is amended by
	adding Subchapter E to read as follows:
	SUBCHAPTER E. ASSOCIATE PHYSICIAN
	Sec. 155.201. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "associate
	physician" means an individual licensed under this subchapter to
	practice medicine under a collaborative practice agreement as
	described by Section 155.204.
	Sec. 155.202. RULES. The board shall adopt rules in
	accordance with this subchapter relating to the licensing and
	regulation of associate physicians.
	Sec. 155.203. LICENSE ISSUANCE. On application, the board
	shall issue a license to practice medicine under this subchapter to
	an applicant who:
	(1) is a resident of this state and is a United States
	citizen or a legal permanent resident;
	(2) has proficiency in the English language;
	(3) is a graduate of a board-approved medical or
	osteopathic medical school;
	(4) has passed the first and second components of the
	United States Medical Licensing Examination or the equivalent
	components of another board-approved licensing examination
	described by Section 155.0511:
	(A) not earlier than two years before the date
	the applicant submits an application for licensure as an associate
	physician; and
	(B) not more than three years after the date of
	the applicant's graduation from a medical school or osteopathic
	medical school; and
	(5) either:
	(A) has not completed a board-approved
	postgraduate residency program; or
	(B) has completed a board-approved postgraduate
	residency program and passed the second component of the United
	States Medical Licensing Examination or the equivalent component of
	another board-approved medical licensing examination described by
	Section 155.0511 at any time before the date the applicant submits
	an application for licensure as an associate physician, if on the
	second anniversary of the date of completion of the examination
	requirement the applicant was serving as a resident physician in a
	board-approved postgraduate residency program in the United States
	and continued to do so until not earlier than the 30th day before
	the date the applicant submits an application for licensure as an
	associate physician.
	Sec. 155.204. COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE AGREEMENT REQUIRED.
	(a) An associate physician may not practice as an associate
	physician unless the associate physician has entered into a
	collaborative practice agreement with a physician under this
	subtitle.
	(b) An associate physician must enter into a collaborative
	practice agreement within the period prescribed by board rule.
	(c) A collaborative practice agreement under this section:
	(1) must be in writing;
	(2) may be in the form of a written agreement,
	jointly-agreed protocols, or standing orders for the delivery of
	health care services; and
	(3) may delegate to an associate physician the
	authority to administer or dispense drugs and provide treatment:
	(A) within the scope of practice of the associate
	physician as specified in the agreement; and
	(B) consistent with the skill, training, and
	competence of the associate physician and the collaborating
	physician.
	Sec. 155.205. LIABILITY OF COLLABORATING PHYSICIAN. A
	physician who enters into a collaborative practice agreement with
	an associate physician under Section 155.204 is responsible at all < Statutes affected: Introduced: Insurance Code 1451.001, Subchapter C, Chapter , Insurance Code 155.204 (Subchapter C, Chapter , Insurance Code 155, Insurance Code 1451)