The Texas insurance consumer advocate is seeking to eliminate the blanket authority of health and disability insurers to decide what their policies cover. Public Insurance Counsel Deeia Beck has asked the state's insurance commissioner to end long-standing provisions in most health plans, called "discretionary" clauses, that give insurers the right to interpret their policies and decide what benefits must be paid. The health insurance industry strongly opposes such a change. Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin has held a hearing on the proposal and is considering whether to move forward, the Dallas Morning News reports.
