House Bill 1523

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1523

        By Representative Sublette






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to health insurance unfair

  3         methods of competition and unfair or deceptive

  4         acts or practices; amending ss. 626.9541 and

  5         641.3903, F.S.; specifying an additional unfair

  6         method of competition and unfair or deceptive

  7         act or practice for health insurance plans and

  8         health maintenance organizations; providing an

  9         effective date.

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11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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13         Section 1.  Paragraph (bb) is added to subsection (1)

14  of section 626.9541, Florida Statutes, to read:

15         626.9541  Unfair methods of competition and unfair or

16  deceptive acts or practices defined.--

17         (1)  UNFAIR METHODS OF COMPETITION AND UNFAIR OR

18  DECEPTIVE ACTS.--The following are defined as unfair methods

19  of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices:

20         (bb)  Coercion by health insurance plans.--Requiring a

21  health care provider, as a condition of participation in a

22  health insurance plan or insurance product of the health care

23  plan, to participate in the plan's or the plan's affiliates'

24  current or subsequently developed other health insurance

25  plans, insurance products, or health maintenance organization

26  plans which have different terms, conditions, or levels of

27  payment.

28         Section 2.  Subsection (15) is added to section

29  641.3903, Florida Statutes, to read:

30         641.3903  Unfair methods of competition and unfair or

31  deceptive acts or practices defined.--The following are

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1523

    534-223-00






  1  defined as unfair methods of competition and unfair or

  2  deceptive acts or practices:

  3         (15)  COERCION BY HEALTH MAINTENANCE

  4  ORGANIZATIONS.--Requiring a health care provider, as a

  5  condition of participation in a health maintenance

  6  organization, to participate in the organization's or the

  7  organization's affiliates' current or subsequently developed

  8  other health maintenance organization plans, health insurance

  9  plans, or insurance products which have different terms,

10  conditions, or levels of payment.

11         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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14                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Specifies as an unfair method of competition and unfair
16    or deceptive act or practice, for health insurance plans
      and health maintenance organizations, requiring health
17    care providers to participate in additional plans or
      products of the health insurance plan or health
18    maintenance organization.

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