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HOUSE BILL 2085 |
HOUSE AUTHOR: McCall et al. |
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EFFECTIVE: 9-1-99 |
SENATE SPONSOR: J. E. Brown |
House Bill 2085 amends the Health and Safety Code to provide for the continuation of the Texas Board of Health and Texas Department of Health until 2011.
The act directs the department to create a comprehensive strategic and operational plan and to integrate the functions of its health care delivery programs, consisting primarily of services to pregnant women and children and including all aspects of health care delivery under the state Medicaid program, to provide for continuity of care, reduce administrative duplication, reduce the burden on providers, and determine the extent to which the existing health care delivery programs can be integrated into a single delivery system. It calls for a pilot project integrating both Medicaid and non-Medicaid programs in a managed care model and a study of the impact of the state's Medicaid managed care program. The act requires the department, at the direction of the board, to employ a medical director to serve as the director for the children's health insurance program and the Medicaid managed care program.
The act directs the department to contract for external financial and performance audits, based on risk, of any Medicaid contractor used by the department in its operation of a part of the state Medicaid program.
The act requires the department to implement policies to encourage the use of electronic transactions in relation to the operation of the Medicaid program and to publish information regarding final enforcement actions taken against a person or facility regulated by the department in which any kind of sanction is imposed. It also directs the department to identify the persons who will be most affected by proposed rules and to maximize input from them and from experts.
The act includes provisions relating to certain licensure and fees and grants the department authority to impose administrative penalties on persons violating rules regarding ambulatory surgical centers, birthing centers, special care facilities, abusable glue and aerosol paints, and hazardous substances. It directs the department to evaluate its regulatory functions with the assistance of the State Auditor's Office.
The act removes authority for the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse to regulate narcotic treatment programs and leaves the department as the sole state authority for regulating such programs. It repeals the expiration date for the Toxic Substances Coordinating Committee and directs the governor to appoint an emergency medical services advisory council. The act creates a council on cardiovascular disease and stroke to develop an effective and resource-efficient plan to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and economic burden of cardiovascular disease and stroke. It directs the department to establish an exposure control plan designed to minimize exposure of certain employees to bloodborne pathogens. It adds requirements relating to medical information provided by certain emergency medical services operators. In addition, the act amends provisions relating to abortion facilities, cancer registries, and certain education programs for minors.
House Bill 2085 amends the Government Code to transfer the department's administrative hearing function to the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
The act also includes standard sunset recommendations that are applicable to the department and the following:
Radiation Advisory Board
Council on Alzheimer's Disease
Statewide Health Coordinating Council
Texas Diabetes Council
Advisory Board of Athletic Trainers
Respiratory care practitioners
Dispensing opticians
Medical radiological technologists
Board of Licensure for Professional Medical Physicists
Massage therapists
Emergency Medical Services
Regulation of asbestos-related activities and
Regulation of lead-based paint activities.