By: Moncrief, Zaffirini S.C.R. No. 58 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The Senate Health and Human Services Committee found 1-2 in its report to the 74th Texas Legislature that many Medicaid 1-3 clients prefer home and community-based services rather than 1-4 institutional care and that these alternatives to institutional 1-5 care are often less costly to the State of Texas and provide more 1-6 flexible service alternatives; and 1-7 WHEREAS, Some individuals receiving services through the 1-8 ICF-MR program in six-bed Level I facilities function at high 1-9 levels and could be served with home and community-based services 1-10 if the necessary supports were made available; and 1-11 WHEREAS, Providing these necessary supports is consistent 1-12 with the state's intention to emphasize community-based services 1-13 over institutionalization and also may result in net savings to the 1-14 state; and 1-15 WHEREAS, Home care services are similarly advantageous to 1-16 Medicaid clients and to the state, but the current Medicaid home 1-17 health benefit is limited and results in an inability to maximize 1-18 appropriate use of this service; and 1-19 WHEREAS, The Senate Health and Human Services Committee 1-20 identified specific barriers to the use of cost-effective home care 1-21 services, and in its report to the 74th Legislature recommended 1-22 that the Texas Department of Health identify and remove such 1-23 barriers; now, therefore, be it 1-24 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-1 hereby direct the State Medicaid Office, in conjunction with the 2-2 Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation and with 2-3 participation from consumers, family members, and providers, to 2-4 structure a range of service and delivery options under the 2-5 authority of Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act (home and 2-6 community-based services) in order to provide more flexibility for 2-7 people eligible to receive services in the six-bed Level I ICF-MR 2-8 program, and in a manner that ensures that service alternatives 2-9 will be cost-effective, will meet the needs of the individual, and 2-10 will not increase overall Medicaid program costs; and, be it 2-11 further 2-12 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Health conduct a 2-13 feasibility study to identify and remove barriers to the use of 2-14 cost-effective home care services, including but not limited to: 2-15 (1) the array of services available; 2-16 (2) arbitrary limits on number of visits allowed; 2-17 (3) the definition of "medically necessary"; 2-18 (4) coverage of preventive services; and 2-19 (5) the interpretation of "homebound" for children; and, be 2-20 it further 2-21 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 2-22 copy of this resolution to the State Medicaid Office, the Texas 2-23 Department of Health, and the Texas Department of Mental Health and 2-24 Mental Retardation.