Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 1605	House Author:  Davis, Sarah et al.
Effective:  9-1-13	Senate Sponsor:  Huffman

            House Bill 1605 amends the Government Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to develop and implement a pilot program in Harris County to create pregnancy medical homes that provide coordinated evidence-based maternity care management to women who reside in the pilot program area and are recipients of medical assistance through a Medicaid managed care model or arrangement under the Medicaid managed care program. The bill requires HHSC, in developing the pilot program, to ensure that each pregnancy medical home created for the program provides a maternity management team that consists of certain health care providers in a single location; that conducts a risk-classification assessment for each pilot program participant on entry into the program to determine whether her pregnancy is considered high-risk or low-risk; that establishes an individual pregnancy care plan for each participant based on such assessment; and that follows the participant throughout her pregnancy in order to reduce poor birth outcomes. The bill authorizes HHSC to incorporate financial incentives to health care providers who participate in a maternity management team as a component of the pilot program. The bill establishes reporting requirements for the program and authorizes the executive commissioner of HHSC to adopt rules to implement the bill's provisions.