SRC-CDH C.S.H.B. 2913 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.H.B. 2913
By: Berlanga (Zaffirini)
Health & Human Services
5-17-97
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST 

Texas began the transition to managed care for recipients of Medicaid
services in 1993 with pilot programs in various counties.  Fully
implemented, those pilot programs moved 60,000 individuals into managed
care through contracts with a health maintenance organization (HMO) and a
pre-paid health plan, and through a state-administered primary care case
management system (PCCM).  Since that time, managed care has expanded to
five additional sites, covering a total of 280,000 individuals through
contracts with seven HMOs and through three PCCM systems.  By the fall of
1999, five more sites are scheduled for conversion to managed care,
bringing the number of Texans in Medicaid managed care to roughly 829,000.
In addition, the state will begin piloting a managed care program for the
long-term population.  Implementing changes of this magnitude are always
accompanied by problems.  Improving employee coordination and
accountability among the state agencies for the administration of Medicaid
managed care would yield several benefits to the state, to recipients, and
to Medicaid providers.  Communication among the heads of the state
agencies is critical because the next phase of managed care expansion will
create new demand not only on contract monitoring, but also on oversight,
utilization review, audit, hotline, and provider and member service
functions.  

C.S.H.B. 2913 facilitates the administration and operation of Medicaid
managed care by consolidating responsibility to the Health and Human
Services Commission (HHSC) and establishing an interagency advisory
committee.  In addition, this bill requires HHSC, in consultation with
health and human services agencies, to appoint Medicaid managed care
advisory committees in all regions in which HHSC plans to provide health
care services.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.H.B. 2913 provides for the authority of the Health and
Human Services Commission to administer and operate the Medicaid managed
care program. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Health and Human Services
Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 531.021(b), Government Code) of this
bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 531.021, Government Code, to provide that the
Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), is responsible for adopting
reasonable rules and standards governing the determination of fees,
charges, and rates for medical assistance payments under Chapter 32, Human
Resources Code.  Requires HHSC, in discharging its duties relating to the
Medicaid managed care program, to consult with and consider input from the
advisory committee created under Section 531.047 and from each health and
human services agency that operates part of the Medicaid program. 

SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 531B, Government Code, by adding Section
531.047, as follows: 

Sec. 531.047.  MEDICAID MANAGED CARE INTERAGENCY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
Provides that an interagency advisory committee (committee) is created to
provide assistance and recommendations to HHSC relating to the Medicaid
managed care program.  Sets forth provisions regarding composition of the
committee, election of officers,  meetings, members' expenses, and at will
employment.  Provides that the committee is not subject to Article
6252-33, V.T.C.S. 

SECTION 3. (a)  Amends Title 4I, Government Code, by adding Chapter 533,
as follows: 

CHAPTER 533.  IMPLEMENTATION OF MEDICAID MANAGED CARE PROGRAM

SUBCHAPTER A.  GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 533.001.  DEFINITIONS.  Defines "commission," "commissioner," "health
and human services agencies," "managed care organization," "managed care
plan," and "recipient." 

Sec. 533.002.  PURPOSE.  Requires the Health and Human Services Commission
or an agency operating part of the state Medicaid managed care program, as
appropriate (commission), to implement the Medicaid managed care program
as part of the health care delivery system developed under Chapter 532 by
contracting with managed care organizations in a manner that achieves
certain goals. 

Sec. 533.003.  CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING CONTRACTS.  Requires the
commission, in awarding contracts to managed care organizations, to give
extra consideration to organizations that agree to assure continuity of
care for a certain period; and to consider the need to use different
managed care plans to meet the needs of different populations.   


Sec. 533.004.  MANDATORY CONTRACTS.  Sets forth the terms by which the
commission is required, in providing health care services through Medicaid
managed care to recipients in a health care service region, to contract
with certain managed care organizations in that region.  Prohibits the
commission from contracting with a managed care organization described by
Subsection (a)(1) if a political subdivision described in Subsection
(a)(1)(A) has entered into an agreement with the state to provide funds
for the expansion of Medicaid for children, unless the political
subdivision fulfills its obligation under the agreement to provide those
funds.  Requires the commission to make the provision of those funds a
condition of the continuation of the contract with the managed care
organization.  Requires the commission to comply with this section in
awarding and renewing contracts to provide health care services through
Medicaid managed care to recipients in a region.  Sets forth the
conditions under which Subsection (c) does not apply.     

Sec. 533.005.  REQUIRED CONTRACT PROVISIONS.  Sets forth requirements for
contracts between managed care organizations and the commission for the
organization to provide health care services. 

Sec. 533.006.  PROVIDER NETWORKS.  Requires the commission to require that
each managed care organization that contracts with the commission to
provide health care services to recipients in a region to seek
participation in the organization's provider network from certain
hospitals; and include certain entities in its provider network for not
less than three years.  Requires a contract between a managed care
organization and the commission to provide health care services to
recipients in a health care service region that includes a rural area to
require that the organization include in its provider network certain
rural hospitals, physicians, home and community support services agencies,
and other rural health care providers.  

Sec. 533.007.  CONTRACT COMPLIANCE.  Requires the commission to review
each managed care organization that contracts with the commission to
determine whether the organization is prepared to meet its contractual
obligations.  Sets forth the terms by which each managed care organization
that contracts with the commission is required to submit an implementation
plan and status reports on the plan by a certain date.  Sets forth the
terms  by which the commission is required to conduct a compliance and
readiness review  of each managed care organization by a certain date.
Establishes the conditions under which the commission is authorized to
delay enrollment of recipients in a managed care plan if the review
reveals that the managed care organization is not prepared to meet its
contractual obligations.   

Sec. 533.008.  MARKETING GUIDELINES.  Requires the commission to establish
marketing guidelines for managed care organizations that contract with the
commission.  
Sec. 533.009.  SPECIAL DISEASE MANAGEMENT. Requires the commission to
ensure that managed care organizations develop special disease management
programs to address chronic health conditions.  Authorizes the commission,
in conjunction with an academic center, to study the application of
disease management principles in the delivery of Medicaid managed care.   

Sec. 533.010.  SPECIAL PROTOCOLS.  Authorizes the commission, in
conjunction with an academic center, to study the treatment of indigent
populations to develop special protocols.   

SUBCHAPTER B.  REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Sec. 533.021.  APPOINTMENT.  Sets forth the terms by which the commission,
in consultation with health and human services agencies, is required to
appoint a Medicaid managed care advisory committee (advisory committee)
for that region.   

Sec. 533.022.  COMPOSITION.  Sets forth the composition of the advisory
committee.  

Sec. 533.023.  PRESIDING OFFICER; SUBCOMMITTEES.  Sets forth provisions
regarding the presiding officer and subcommittees of the advisory
committee. 

Sec. 533.024.  MEETINGS.  Sets forth provisions regarding advisory
committee meetings.   

Sec. 533.025.  POWERS AND DUTIES.  Requires the advisory committee to
comment on the implementation of Medicaid managed care in the region;
provide recommendations to the commission on the improvement of Medicaid
managed care in the region by a certain date; and seek input from the
public. 

Sec. 533.026.  INFORMATION FROM COMMISSION.  Requires the commission, on
request, to provide certain information to an advisory committee. 

Sec. 533.027.  COMPENSATION; REIMBURSEMENT.  Sets forth provisions
regarding compensation and reimbursement of members of the advisory
committee.   

Sec. 533.028.  OTHER LAW.  Establishes that except as provided by this
chapter, a committee is subject to Article 6252-33, V.T.C.S.  

Sec. 533.029.  FUNDING.  Requires the commission to fund activities under
this section with money otherwise appropriated for that purpose.   

(b)  Requires the commission to submit a report to certain persons on the
impact of Medicaid managed care on the public health sector by December 1,
1998.   

(c)  Sets forth the terms by which the commission is required, in
cooperation with the advisory committee for a region, to submit a report
to certain persons on the implementation of Medicaid managed care in that
region by a certain date. 

(d)  Makes application of this Act prospective, regarding Section 533.007,
Government Code, as added by this Act.  

 (e)  Provides that Section 533.004, Government Code, as added by this
Act, does not affect the expansion of medical assistance for children
described in H.C.R. No. 189, 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997. 

(f)  Requires the commission, if Medicaid recipients in a health care
service region began to receive health care services before the effective
date of this Act, to appoint an advisory committee for that region in
accordance with Chapter 533B, Government Code, as added by this Act, as
soon as possible after the effective date of this Act. 

(g)  Effective date:  upon passage.

SECTION 4. Effective date:  September 1, 1997, except that SECTION 3 of
this Act takes effect immediately. 

SECTION 5. Emergency clause.   

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

SECTION 1.

Amends Section 531.021, Government Code, to delete existing text making
HHSC responsible for the policy, administration, evaluation, and operation
of the Medicaid managed care program; and requiring the commissioner to
supervise employees of health and human services agencies in the
performance of Medicaid managed care duties.   

SECTION 3.

Amends Section 533.004, Government Code, to change the terms under which
the commission is required to contract with certain managed care
organizations in a health care service region.  Amends the terms under
which the commission is prohibited from contracting with a managed care
organization described by Subsection (a)(1) unless the political
subdivision fulfills its obligation under the agreement to provide funds
for the expansion of Medicaid for children; and provides exceptions.  

Amends Section 533.006, Government Code, to delete proposed text requiring
the commission to require that each managed care organization seek
participation in the organization's provider network from certain health
care providers in the region. 

Amends Section 533.007, Government Code, to change the date by which the
commission is required to respond to an implementation plan. 

Amends Section 533.008, Government Code, to delete proposed text requiring
the commission to establish guidelines that prohibit marketing at public
assistance offices.   

Adds Section 533.029, Government Code, to require the commission to fund
activities with money otherwise appropriated for that purpose.   

Deletes former SECTION 3(b), which required the commission to direct
certain agencies to submit a plan to realize cost savings for the state by
simplifying eligibility criteria and streamlining eligibility
determination processes for recipients of financial, medical, and other
public assistance.