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House Bill 4 |
House Author: Price et al. |
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Effective: 6-15-21 |
Senate Sponsor: Buckingham et al. |
House Bill 4 amends the Government Code, Health and Safety Code, and Human Resources Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to ensure that Medicaid recipients, CHIP enrollees, and other individuals receiving benefits under a public benefits program have the option to receive services as telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, or otherwise using telecommunications or information technology. The bill requires the executive commissioner of HHSC by rule to develop and implement a system that ensures behavioral health services may be provided using an audio‑only platform to such an individual. Among other provisions, the bill requires HHSC to establish policies and procedures to improve access to care under the Medicaid managed care program by encouraging the use of telehealth services, telemedicine medical services, home telemonitoring services, and other telecommunications or information technology under the program. The bill authorizes a Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) to reimburse providers for home telemonitoring services provided to persons who have conditions and exhibit risk factors other than those expressly authorized by applicable state law. The bill revises the required contents of the Medicaid application form to include language that notifies an applicant which of the applicant's preferred methods of contact will be shared with their MCO or health plan provider, that allows the applicant to consent to being contacted, and that explains the security risks of electronic communication.