Legislative Blog
J.B. Williams, J.D.
2 bills that modify the Insurance
A Blog about 88th Legislature Laws
A Bit of Background
The following backgrounds help summarize the author's views on both the general topic: Texas and more specifically 88th Legislature Laws as it relates to that topic.
Brief Summary of Texas
Texas is truly a Republic. There are a multitude of items that to modify the state constitution must be modified. So there are times when Constitutional amendments are on the voting ballots. While I sometimes abhor the wording, the concept that all of those legally able to vote in Texas must vote on the change is a good one. And bills in Texas are generally short, making it easier for everyone to understand.
Summary of 88th Legislature Laws
The blogs here will discuss the laws passed by Congress and signed into law, as well as those, passed by Congress and approved by the voters to become law. There are a multitude of laws and each time I post blogs I will notate here the current effective date if it is different from prior blogs. I am currently posting bills that took effect immediately - those bills total 336. I am currently posting regarding larger bills, so each blog covers a single bill.
Blog Summary
SB 622 - Medication costs
SB 833 - No charging more because you don't like them
2 bills that modify the Insurance
Published: 2026-01-08
Multiple short modifications
SB 622 - 7 pages
All of this information seems like a good idea because currently I think people think that some medicine costs substantially more than it does merely because that is what their insurance EOB says. I was surprised that the cost of some medication is substantially less costly if you merely go to a different pharmacy. I had a compounding pharmacy beat the price on expensive medications in the past - no they were not compounding it but had the ability to compound other medications from a particular drug company as requested. Because there are some that are made per specific direction for the individual. Always good to look around to see if someone has a better price, and it took me almost no time to make the discovery.
This covers insurance for health conditions, accidents, sickness and this is offered by an insurance company, group hospital corporation, HMO, approved nonprofit health corporation, multiple employer welfare arrangements, stipulated premium company, fraternal benefit society, Lloyd's plan, or an exchange under Chapter 942. It does not apply to the state Medicaid program, child health plan program under Chapter 62, TRICARE military system, or workers' compensation policy.
The plan must provide the issuer's drug formulary, and for prescription drug and any formulary alternatives:
- their eligibility;
- cost-sharing information, including deductible, copay, or coinsurance which must be consistent under the plan, accurate at the time provided, and include any variance due to choice of dispensing retail provider;
- utilization management requirements
Responses for this information need to be made in real time through a standard API and the information is current within no more than 1 business day. The plan may not block the provider from disclosing the cash price of the dug or any lower cost appropriate alternative drug, even if it is not covered.
SB 833 - 5 pages
This is a good thing because if you let insurance charge more because they don't like your particular flower farm, then it is only a small shift before they charge some people more because they don't like which party they are registered as. It's a slippery slope that happens in so many places, and I don't think people realize how soon the slide gets going fast.
Texas legislature stated that numerous entities developed different environmental, social, or governance models, scores, factors, or standards to evaluate financial risks for investments in some businesses or industries or to encourage/discourage business dealings in certain businesses or industries. These were not necessarily rated as to the financial effects and, as such, could affect the Texas economy.
Insurers are an insurance company engaged in the business of insurance. This includes stock or mutual property and casualty insurance; Lloyd's plan; reciprocal or interinsurance exchange; county mutual insurance; form mutual insurance; insurer writing a line of insurance regulated by Title 10; life/health/accident insurance; and HMO under Chapter 843. It only applies to policies issued and delivered by an insurer in Texas.
The covered entities are now prohibited from using environmental, social or governance models, scores, factors, or standards to charge a rate different than the rate charged to another business or risk in the same class for essentially the same hazard. Financial solvency can be considered.
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