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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a Medicaid buy-in program for employees of small |
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businesses. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 531.024442 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.024442. MEDICAID BUY-IN PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES OF |
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SMALL BUSINESSES. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Program participant" means an employee of a small |
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business who receives health care services under Medicaid through |
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the buy-in program established under this section. |
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(2) "Small business" means a business with an annual |
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gross revenue of $850,000 or less. |
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(b) The commission shall operate a Medicaid buy-in program |
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under which a person who is an employee of a small business may |
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receive health care services under Medicaid. The executive |
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commissioner shall adopt rules for the program that: |
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(1) establish eligibility requirements for |
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participation in the program, including household income limits, |
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that ensure receipt of federal matching money for providing health |
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care services under Medicaid to a program participant; |
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(2) require financial participation by the program |
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participant, including a requirement that the program participant |
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pay, according to a sliding scale based on household income |
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determined in accordance with commission rules, a portion of any |
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premiums imposed or cost-sharing payments required under the |
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program; and |
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(3) require financial participation by a small |
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business that employs a program participant, including a |
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requirement that the small business pay a portion of any premiums |
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imposed or cost-sharing payments required under the program, in |
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amounts determined in accordance with commission rules. |
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(c) The executive commissioner shall ensure that the rules |
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adopted under Subsection (b) regarding the financial participation |
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required of a small business are not cost prohibitive to |
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participation by a small business in the program. |
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(d) The program under this section must be substantively |
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identical to the Medicaid buy-in programs for persons with |
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disabilities established under Section 531.02444, except to the |
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extent that programmatic differences are appropriate because of the |
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populations served by the programs. |
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(e) The commission shall prepare and make available to small |
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businesses information concerning the availability of and |
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application process for the program under this section. A small |
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business may provide that information to its employees and |
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prospective employees. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2022, the executive |
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commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall |
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adopt the rules required by Section 531.024442, Government Code, as |
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added by this Act, and the commission shall implement the program |
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required by that section. |
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SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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waiver or authorization is granted. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |