Testimony Opposing HB 1452: Fetal Tissue Disposition Mandate
We oppose this new mandate on health insurance coverage. Covering funeral, burial, or cremation expenses has never been the role of health insurance, and doing so would increase health insurance costs for Texas employers. Insurance activities of Texas health plans are limited by their licenses, issued by the Department of Insurance, to the lines of business for which they are licensed. HMOs are authorized only to provide benefits for the cost of “health care services,” defined in the Insurance Code as “services provided to an individual to prevent, alleviate, cure, or heal human illness or injury.” The burial of fetal remains is simply not a health care service and is therefore not an appropriate role for insurance providers.
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