H.B. No. 2150 amends various sections of the Texas Insurance Code to enhance telephone access for health benefit plan verifications, preauthorization requests, and utilization review requests. The bill mandates that health maintenance organizations and insurers must provide personnel at a toll-free number 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including legal holidays, to respond to these requests. It also requires that these organizations have a telephone system capable of accepting or recording calls during periods when personnel are unavailable due to circumstances beyond their control. Additionally, they must respond to calls as soon as possible, but no later than two hours after the call is received.

The bill removes previous time restrictions that limited availability to specific hours on weekdays and weekends, thereby ensuring continuous access for individuals seeking verifications and preauthorizations. It also updates the response time requirement from a maximum of 24 hours to two hours, thereby improving the efficiency of the response process. The changes aim to enhance the accessibility and responsiveness of health benefit plans, ultimately benefiting consumers in need of timely health care services. The Act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Insurance Code 843.347, Insurance Code 843.348, Insurance Code 1301.133, Insurance Code 1301.135, Insurance Code 4201.004 (Insurance Code 1301, Insurance Code 4201, Insurance Code 843)