|
Senate Bill 293 |
Senate Author: Watson et al. |
|
Effective: 9-1-11 |
House Sponsor: Davis, John |
Senate Bill 293 amends the Government Code to require the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to establish a statewide program that permits reimbursement under Medicaid for home telemonitoring services on determining that such a program would be cost-effective and feasible. The bill sets out requirements for the program, including a requirement that home telemonitoring services under the program be made available only to persons who are diagnosed with one or more specified conditions and who exhibit two or more specified risk factors. The bill requires HHSC to submit a report to the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives regarding the program and authorizes HHSC to discontinue the program and stop providing reimbursement for telemonitoring services after implementation on determining that the program is not cost‑effective. The bill requires HHSC to determine whether the provision of home telemonitoring services to persons eligible for benefits under both Medicaid and Medicare achieves cost savings for the Medicare program. The bill makes provisions of law relating to Medicaid reimbursement of certain service providers applicable to providers of services performed using telehealth services and provisions relating to telemedicine technology standards for an operating system used in the provision of certain services by a health care facility participating in the state Medicaid program applicable to telehealth and home telemonitoring services. The bill renames the telemedicine advisory committee and requires the advisory committee to include representatives of telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, and home telemonitoring services providers. The bill repeals certain provisions relating to telehealth services and telemedicine medical services.