Sec. 181.001. DEFINITIONS. (a) Unless otherwise defined in this chapter, each term that is used in this chapter has the meaning assigned by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Privacy Standards.

(b) In this chapter:

(1) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1, Sec. 3.1639(55), eff. April 2, 2015.

(2) "Covered entity" means any person who:

(A) for commercial, financial, or professional gain, monetary fees, or dues, or on a cooperative, nonprofit, or pro bono basis, engages, in whole or in part, and with real or constructive knowledge, in the practice of assembling, collecting, analyzing, using, evaluating, storing, or transmitting protected health information. The term includes a business associate, health care payer, governmental unit, information or computer management entity, school, health researcher, health care facility, clinic, health care provider, or person who maintains an Internet site;

(B) comes into possession of protected health information;

(C) obtains or stores protected health information under this chapter; or

(D) is an employee, agent, or contractor of a person described by Paragraph (A), (B), or (C) insofar as the employee, agent, or contractor creates, receives, obtains, maintains, uses, or transmits protected health information.

(2-a) "Disclose" means to release, transfer, provide access to, or otherwise divulge information outside the entity holding the information.

(2-b) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1, Sec. 3.1639(55), eff. April 2, 2015.

(3) "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Privacy Standards" means the privacy requirements in existence on September 1, 2011, of the Administrative Simplification subtitle of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Pub. L. No. 104-191) contained in 45 C.F.R. Part 160 and 45 C.F.R. Part 164, Subparts A and E.

(4) "Marketing" means:

(A) making a communication about a product or service that encourages a recipient of the communication to purchase or use the product or service, unless the communication is made:

(i) to describe a health-related product or service or the payment for a health-related product or service that is provided by, or included in a plan of benefits of, the covered entity making the communication, including communications about:

(a) the entities participating in a health care provider network or health plan network;

(b) replacement of, or enhancement to, a health plan; or

(c) health-related products or services available only to a health plan enrollee that add value to, but are not part of, a plan of benefits;

(ii) for treatment of the individual;

(iii) for case management or care coordination for the individual, or to direct or recommend alternative treatments, therapies, health care providers, or settings of care to the individual; or

(iv) by a covered entity to an individual that encourages a change to a prescription drug included in the covered entity's drug formulary or preferred drug list;

(B) an arrangement between a covered entity and any other entity under which the covered entity discloses protected health information to the other entity, in exchange for direct or indirect remuneration, for the other entity or its affiliate to make a communication about its own product or service that encourages recipients of the communication to purchase or use that product or service; and

(C) notwithstanding Paragraphs (A)(ii) and (iii), a product-specific written communication to a consumer that encourages a change in products.

(5) "Product" means a prescription drug or prescription medical device.

Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1511, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 924, Sec. 2.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1126 (H.B. 300), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2012.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.1639(55), eff. April 2, 2015.