By Maxey, Dukes H.B. No. 1910
74R2329 KKA-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to Medicaid reimbursement of school districts' costs
1-3 incurred in providing school health-related services to
1-4 Medicaid-certified students.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
1-7 is amended by adding Sections 32.0242, 32.0243, 32.0244, and
1-8 32.0245 to read as follows:
1-9 Sec. 32.0242. DETERMINATION OF STUDENT MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY.
1-10 (a) Every six weeks during a school year:
1-11 (1) the department shall provide the Central Education
1-12 Agency with the name and social security number of each school-aged
1-13 person eligible to receive Medicaid benefits during the preceding
1-14 six-week period; and
1-15 (2) each school district shall provide the Central
1-16 Education Agency with the name and social security number of each
1-17 student enrolled in the district during the preceding six-week
1-18 period.
1-19 (b) On receipt of the information specified in Subsection
1-20 (a), the Central Education Agency shall promptly:
1-21 (1) identify each student enrolled in a school
1-22 district who was eligible for Medicaid benefits during the period
1-23 covered by the information provided; and
1-24 (2) provide each school district with the name of each
2-1 student enrolled in the district who is identified under
2-2 Subdivision (1).
2-3 (c) In implementing this section, the department, the
2-4 Central Education Agency, and each school district shall comply
2-5 with any state or federal law relating to confidentiality of the
2-6 identity of a person eligible to receive Medicaid benefits.
2-7 Sec. 32.0243. MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE
2-8 FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS. (a) The Texas Department of Health and the
2-9 person with whom the state contracts to administer the state
2-10 Medicaid program shall periodically provide statewide training to
2-11 school districts to assist the districts in seeking Medicaid
2-12 reimbursement for eligible school health-related services provided
2-13 to students.
2-14 (b) The person with whom the state contracts to administer
2-15 the state Medicaid program shall:
2-16 (1) operate toll-free hotlines available to school
2-17 district employees and representatives answered by persons with
2-18 knowledge of school health-related services for which school
2-19 districts may seek Medicaid reimbursement; and
2-20 (2) maintain records of the type and frequency of
2-21 calls received from school district employees and representatives
2-22 to be used in determining the extent to which reimbursement
2-23 procedures provide a practical mechanism for reimbursement of the
2-24 costs of school health-related services.
2-25 (c) The Texas Department of Health and the person with whom
2-26 the state contracts to administer the state Medicaid program shall
2-27 provide initial training that meets the requirements of Subsection
3-1 (a) not later than September 30, 1995. This subsection expires
3-2 October 1, 1995.
3-3 Sec. 32.0244. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS. (a)
3-4 The Texas Department of Health and the Central Education Agency
3-5 shall conduct a study of the costs incurred by school districts in
3-6 providing assistive technology devices and adaptive equipment,
3-7 orientation and mobility training, low-vision evaluation, and
3-8 personal-care attendant services to students. The Texas Department
3-9 of Health and the Central Education Agency shall use the
3-10 information gathered in the study to develop service rate
3-11 information applicable to a school district's provision of
3-12 assistive technology devices and adaptive equipment, orientation
3-13 and mobility training, low-vision evaluation, and personal-care
3-14 attendant services to students.
3-15 (b) The Texas Department of Health and the Central Education
3-16 Agency shall jointly develop service definitions applicable to a
3-17 school district's provision of assistive technology devices and
3-18 adaptive equipment, orientation and mobility training, low-vision
3-19 evaluation, and personal-care attendant services to students that
3-20 meet Medicaid requirements.
3-21 (c) The Texas Department of Health shall submit a proposed
3-22 amendment to the state Medicaid plan to include assistive
3-23 technology devices and adaptive equipment, orientation and mobility
3-24 training, low-vision evaluation, and personal-care attendant
3-25 services in the list of school health-related services eligible for
3-26 Medicaid reimbursement.
3-27 Sec. 32.0245. SCHOOL MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT TASK FORCE. (a)
4-1 The School Medicaid Reimbursement Task Force is created to seek
4-2 ways to simplify the claim filing process used by a school district
4-3 seeking Medicaid reimbursement of school health-related services.
4-4 (b) The task force is composed of at least one
4-5 representative of:
4-6 (1) the Texas Department of Health, appointed by the
4-7 commissioner of public health;
4-8 (2) the Texas Department of Human Services, appointed
4-9 by the commissioner of human services;
4-10 (3) the Central Education Agency, appointed by the
4-11 commissioner of education;
4-12 (4) the person with whom the state contracts to
4-13 administer the state Medicaid program, selected by the person;
4-14 (5) private consultants with expertise regarding
4-15 reimbursement of school health-related services, appointed by the
4-16 commissioner of education; and
4-17 (6) school districts, appointed by the commissioner of
4-18 education.
4-19 (c) The task force shall select a presiding officer and any
4-20 other necessary officers.
4-21 (d) The task force shall prepare and deliver a report of its
4-22 recommendations to the governor and the Legislative Budget Board
4-23 not later than January 1, 1997.
4-24 (e) The appointing agency is responsible for the expenses of
4-25 a member's service on the task force. Members of the task force
4-26 receive no additional compensation for serving on the task force.
4-27 (f) This section expires August 31, 1997.
5-1 SECTION 2. Section 32.0242, Human Resources Code, as added
5-2 by this Act, applies beginning with the 1995-1996 school year. As
5-3 soon as possible after the effective date of this Act, and during
5-4 the 1995-1996 school year, the contractor described by Section
5-5 32.0243, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, shall begin
5-6 operation of the toll-free hotlines.
5-7 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
5-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
5-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
5-13 passage, and it is so enacted.