Indigent Health Care
Interim Check list
As the 81st Legislative Session gets closer and the interim gets busier with the many groups and committees reviewing the indigent health care program, county officials may benefit from a review of some of the items on the topic TAC staff are monitoring. In the last few issues of County Issues, articles have appeared about the various groups conducting studies.
Below please find listed the various interim committee studies, review committees, interim charges and workgroups working on health care in Texas and the county program. This list includes the latest hearing information at the time of publication, but we will keep this list updated on our website: www.county.org. If you have any comments or suggestions please contact Rick Thompson.
House Interim Committee Studies on
Indigent Health Care
The House Committee on
Appropriations and the House
Committee on Public Health will be
reviewing the indigent health care program
during the interim (see “House
Interim Charges” in the December 21,
2007 County Issues). These studies will
cover various areas of the program,
including funding streams and reviewing
the act itself.
House Committee on Appropriations With regard to the state’s health
related institutions, research deficiencies
with disproportionate share and
upper payment limit methodologies;
research collaboration with general
academic institutions and between
health-related institutions; review funding
streams for University of Texas
Medical Branch (UTMB), focusing on
the issue of the need for reimbursement
by counties using UTMB for higher
levels of indigent care; and study the
methodology used to fund the state’s
two mission specific institutions.
No hearing currently posted
Comprehensively review Medicaid
provider reimbursement rate methodologies,
including the impact of factors
such as infrastructure concerns, federal
minimum wage changes, and cost
reports. The review should also
address health care concerns such as
access to care, quality of care, and
value. Any recommendations should
take into account current rate increases
impacting the next fiscal year.
No hearing currently posted
Examine settlement of federal
and state lawsuits against Harris
County Hospital District for false
claims in the state Medicaid program.
Recommend any measures needed to
ensure compliance of similar entities
with rules and regulations of taxpayerfunded
programs.
No hearing currently posted
House Committee on Public Health
Research issues relating to the
Indigent Health Care and Treatment
Act (Chapter 61, Health and Safety
Code) and related local health care initiatives
(Chapter 534, Government
Code), and make recommendations to
address any imbalance between counties
for the provision of health care.
No hearing currently posted
Examine issues related to the
Texas Anatomical Gift Act (Chapter
692, Health and Safety Code).
No hearing currently posted
Review the effectiveness of the
Driver Responsibility Program, and provide
recommendations for increasing
the collection rate of assessed penalties.
Provide recommendations for
amnesty and incentive programs
established by the passage
of SB 1723, 80th Legislature, Regular
Session. Examine the status of Texas'
current statewide trauma system infrastructure
and how the system may be
optimized to meet future trauma care
needs in a rapidly growing state with
overburdened emergency rooms. (Joint
Interim Charge with the House
Committee on Transportation)
Hearing posted for March 27, 2008
Capitol E2.036
Senate Interim Committee Studies on
Indigent Health Care
The Senate Committees on Finance,
Health & Human Services, State Affairs
and Transportation will be studying
varying aspects of the health care system
in Texas which could great greatly
affect the county program. These studies
will look at county funding of public
hospitals, the number of uninsured
Texans, Medicaid reimbursement rates
and the role of local governments in the
event of a disaster.
Senate Committee on Finance
Study the funding of county public
hospitals and the role neighboring
counties without a county hospital
should pay.
No hearing currently posted
Review Medicaid provider reimbursement
rate methodologies, including
the impact of factors such as infrastructure
concerns, federal minimum
wage changes, and cost reports.
Hearing posted for August 26, 2008 9 AM
Capitol E1.036
Study the impact on access to care,
quality of care, and value, and make
recommendations for legislative
changes, taking into account rate
increases contained in the current
budget. (Joint charge with Senate
Health and Human Services Committee)
No hearing currently posted
Senate Committee on Health and
Human Services
Review Medicaid provider reimbursement
rate methodologies, including
the impact of factors such as infrastructure
concerns, federal minimum
wage changes, and cost reports. Study
the impact on access to care, quality of
care, and value, and make recommendations
for legislative changes, taking
into account rate increases contained
in the current budget. (Joint charge
with Senate Finance Committee)
Hearing posted for August 26, 2008 9 AM
Capitol E1.036
Senate Committee on State Affairs
Study and make recommendations
for reducing the number of uninsured
Texans, focusing on the following:
- Options to increase access to private health insurance, including 3 Share programs, employer sponsored plans and portable, individual insurance; • Incentives for encouraging counties and local governments to participate in private health insurance cost sharing for their respective residents;
- Options to reduce health care premiums, including creation of special plans with increased deductibles and catastrophic coverage;
- Implementation and possible expansion of health services districts;
- Other state programs for increasing market-based coverage of the uninsured, including costs and effectiveness;
- Options that will increase consumer choice and personal responsibility; and
- Analysis of state and federal regulations that contribute to higher premium costs.
Hearing posted for March 26, 2008 9AM Capitol E1.012
Senate Committee on Transportation &
Homeland Security
Examine the roles and best practices
among individuals, state and local
governments, hospitals and other
health care providers, and the insurance
industry for disaster planning and
first response efforts. Explore what
changes are needed to better prepare
for natural disasters to mitigate claims
and losses. Include an assessment of
the state's implementation of recent
recommendations for evacuations,
including movement of medically fragile
populations. Study the level of preparedness
among critical infrastructure
entities in both the public and private
sector, the effectiveness of state
disaster relief policies relating to this
infrastructure and the sufficiency of
personnel needed to restore this infrastructure.
Assess the state's preparedness
to handle a public health emergency.
Examine the challenges of interoperability
of communications
technologies to improve coordination
of different plans across jurisdictions.
No hearing currently posted
HB 3154 Regional Health Care System Review Committee
During the 80th Legislative Session,
Rep. Jodie Laubenberg (R-Rockwall)
passed HB 3154, creating a regional
health care system review committee
to study the provision of indigent
health care through county and regional
health care services in Public Health
Region Three. The committee conducted
its first meeting In September in
Dallas but no subsequent meeting has
been scheduled. For more information
and copies of the handouts distributed
at the meeting, see the article “HB 3154”
in the November 9, 2007 County Issues.
No hearing currently posted
Joint Committee on Oversight of
Medicaid Reform
During the 80th Session, Senator
Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) passed
SB 10 which charged the Texas Health
and Human Services Commission
(HHSC) with reviewing the Texas
Medicaid program and making recommendations
for improving the effectiveness
of the services. This bill is
designed to address many areas of
health care in Texas including the
county indigent health care program
(see “Leveraging for Federal Dollars” in
the September 21, 2007 County Issues).
For information on the committee and
the hearings held in December and
February, go to: www.senate.state.
tx.us/75r/senate/commit/c880/c880.htm
No hearing currently posted.
