Sec. 1451.104.  NONDISCRIMINATORY PAYMENT OR REIMBURSEMENT;  EXCEPTION.  (a)  An insurer may not classify, differentiate, or discriminate between scheduled services or procedures provided by a health care practitioner selected under this subchapter and performed in the scope of that practitioner's license and the same services or procedures provided by another type of health care practitioner whose services or procedures are covered by a health insurance policy, in regard to:
(1)  the payment schedule or payment provisions of the policy;  or
(2)  the amount or manner of payment or reimbursement under the policy.
(b)  An insurer may not deny payment or reimbursement for services or procedures in accordance with the policy payment schedule or payment provisions solely because the services or procedures were performed by a health care practitioner selected under this subchapter.
(c)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a health insurance policy may provide for a different amount of payment or reimbursement for scheduled services or procedures performed by an advanced practice nurse, nurse first assistant, licensed surgical assistant, or physician assistant if the methodology used to compute the amount is the same as the methodology used to compute the amount of payment or reimbursement when the services or procedures are provided by a physician.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1274, Sec. 3, eff. April 1, 2005.