SRC-CDH S.B. 1824 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1824
By: Shapleigh
Health & Human Services
4-6-97
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, the El Paso Hospital District, which operates El Paso's largest
acute care hospital, and the Texas Tech Health and Science Center, which
trains medical students and resident physicians on the hospital staff, are
requesting statutory language to formalize the coordinated public health
care delivery system which the two entities have agreed to in principle.
The two entities have developed an agreement to integrate their operations
and jointly contract with health and managed care providers, while
preserving each entity's identity and autonomy.  This legislation
authorizes the El Paso Hospital District and the Texas Tech Health Science
Center in El Paso to create a new integrated organization to improve
health care delivery to the citizens of El Paso by strengthening the
ability of both parties to carry out their respective missions and
encouraging participation by providers currently outside the two
institutions.   

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1824 provides for the formation of an integrated health
care system by a hospital district and a public medical school.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 281C, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section
281.0517, as follows: 

Sec. 281.0517.  INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.  Defines "integrated health
care system," "provider," and "public medical school."  Authorizes a
hospital district and a public medical school to establish and operate an
integrated health care system.  Authorizes an integrated health care
system, to provide or arrange for comprehensive health care services, to
own, acquire, lease, or contract for all necessary assets; enter into
contracts with providers; provide or enter into a contract with an
individual or business entity; enter into a contract or other agreement
with a business or governmental entity; and enter into a fee-for-service,
capitated, or risk-sharing health care service arrangement.  Provides that
an integrated health care system is a unit of local government and subject
to certain statutory law.  Authorizes an integrated health care system,
notwithstanding Subsection (d)(1)(A), to hold a closed meeting to
deliberate certain issues.  Provides that information relating to certain
issues is confidential and not subject to disclosure, notwithstanding
Subsection (d)(1)(B).   

SECTION 2. Effective date:  September 1, 1997.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.