Medical Tourism
Senate Bill 1391 by Sen. Carlos Uresti (D-San Antonio) prohibits
health insurers from issuing plans that require patients to travel
to a foreign country to obtain coverage. The bill applies to health
plans issued on or after Jan. 1, 2008. TMA supported the bill.
Border Health Close Calls
Cross Border HMOs
Two bills were filed to establish cross-border health plans: House
Bill 2483 by Rep. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) and Senate Bill
1445 by Senator Lucio. While not identical, both bills would have
allowed health plans to offer health insurance plans targeted to
United States citizens or legal Mexican residents living within 75
miles of either side of the U.S.-Mexico border. Similar bills have
been filed in previous sessions. These bills touted as a means to
reduce the number of uninsured residents along the border.
While TMA strongly supports efforts to reduce the uninsured, it
has along with the Border Health Caucus and the Texas Hospital
Association, opposed the legislation because Texas cannot regulate
the quality of health care provided within Mexico. Both
organizations have grave concerns about patient safety and
liability. The bills received hearings in their respective
chambers but were left pending. This issue is likely to re-emerge
during the interim as an interim study.
Border Health Staff Team:
Legislative: Michelle Romero
Policy: Helen Kent Davis and Gayle Love
Legal: Kelly Walla
Overview
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Managed Care/Insurance Reform
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Scope of Practice
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Retail Health Clinics
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Responsible Ownership
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Corporate Practice of Medicine
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Health Care Funding
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Medicaid, CHIP, and the
Uninsured
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Public Health
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Mental Health
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Emergency Medical Services and
Trauma Care
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Rural Health
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Medical Science and Quality
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Physician Workforce, Licensure,
and Discipline
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Health Information Technology
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Prescription Drugs
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Long-Term Care
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Workers' Compensation
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Abortion
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Franchise Tax Reform
Last Updated On
July 23, 2010
Originally Published On
March 23, 2010