Senate Bill 2193
Senate Author: LaMantia et al.
Effective: 5-19-23
House Sponsor: Frank et al.
Senate Bill 2193 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize a federally qualified health center (FQHC) to establish and operate a primary care access program for the provision of primary care services and benefits directly to the employees of participating employers and their dependents within the FQHC's service area. The bill sets out program requirements and provides for the powers and duties of FQHCs in operating a program, including the authority to require the use of certain health care providers, establish program participation criteria, and require payment of a share of the premium or other costs, and the duty to solicit funding for the program's purposes. The bill exempts an FQHC that operates such a program from regulation by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and provides for the establishment and administration of a primary care access grant program by TDI and the Health and Human Services Commission to award grants to FQHCs operating such a program.