Relating to the establishment of a bundled-pricing program to reduce certain health care costs in the state employees group benefits program. H.B. 571 amends the Insurance Code to require the board of trustees of the Employees
Retirement System of Texas (ERS) to develop a cost-positive bundled-pricing program for health benefit plans provided under the group benefits program. The bill provides the following:
 the program must be designed to reduce health care costs in the group benefits program by contracting with a health care facility, physician, or health care provider at a
consolidated rate for an inpatient or outpatient surgery procedure that is a covered health care or medical service under the health benefit plan;
 the consolidated rate must include all fees related to the covered surgery procedure, including fees for a facility, physician, health care provider, laboratory, anesthesia,
perioperative service, prescription drug, or pharmacy service; and
 the board of trustees must contract with a third-party administrator, which may be independent from the administrator of a health benefit plan under the group benefits program, to administer the program.