1-1 By: Patterson, Moncrief, Zaffirini S.C.R. No. 59 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 16, 1995; February 16, 1995, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human 1-4 Services; March 16, 1995, reported adversely, with favorable 1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; 1-6 March 16, 1995, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.C.R. No. 59 By: Patterson 1-8 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-9 WHEREAS, In its report to the 74th Texas Legislature, the 1-10 Senate Health and Human Services Committee concluded that there is 1-11 a pressing need for an audit of the Medicaid program, that it may 1-12 be in the best interest of the state if nursing homes were dually 1-13 certified for Medicare and Medicaid, and that significant savings 1-14 might accrue if certain state schools and hospitals were 1-15 privatized; and 1-16 WHEREAS, A targeted audit focusing on areas not audited 1-17 regularly or previously could potentially save a substantial amount 1-18 of state revenue by helping to reduce fraud; and 1-19 WHEREAS, It is the responsibility of the federal Medicare 1-20 program to pay for the first 100 days of skilled nursing facility 1-21 care after hospital discharge, but if a facility is not dually 1-22 certified these costs are assumed by the state Medicaid program; 1-23 therefore, dual certification of facilities where appropriate to 1-24 serve both Medicare and Medicaid clients could potentially save 1-25 state revenue by allowing the federally funded program to assume 1-26 these costs; and 1-27 WHEREAS, Privatization of state school campus operations 1-28 potentially could save an estimated $14.1 million in general 1-29 revenue per fiscal year, while privatization of state hospitals 1-30 potentially could save an estimated $4.87 million in general 1-31 revenue for the 1996-1997 biennium; now, therefore, be it 1-32 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-33 hereby request the State Medicaid Office, in conjunction with the 1-34 appropriate state agencies, to develop a proposal for the purpose 1-35 and scope of a targeted audit of the Medicaid program; and, be it 1-36 further 1-37 RESOLVED, That the State Medicaid Office submit the proposal 1-38 for a program audit to the Senate Health and Human Services 1-39 Committee not later than March 1, 1995; and, be it further 1-40 RESOLVED, That the State Medicaid Office, with public input 1-41 including input from the long-term care industry and senior citizen 1-42 advocacy organizations, determine the feasibility of requiring some 1-43 Medicaid nursing homes to also certify beds for Medicare and 1-44 examine incentives to maximize the use of federal funds by ensuring 1-45 that all geographic areas of the state have sufficient Medicare 1-46 beds to meet the public need; and, be it further 1-47 RESOLVED, That the State Medicaid Office report its findings 1-48 on the feasibility of requiring dual certification of nursing 1-49 facilities to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee not 1-50 later than May 15, 1995; and, be it further 1-51 RESOLVED, That the Council on Competitive Government study 1-52 the feasibility and ramifications of privatizing state schools for 1-53 persons with mental retardation and of privatizing state hospitals 1-54 for persons with mental illness; and, be it further 1-55 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward official copies 1-56 of this resolution to the State Medicaid Office and to the Council 1-57 on Competitive Government. 1-58 * * * * *