SRC-JFA S.C.R. 14 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.C.R. 14
By: Moncrief
Health & Human Services
3-6-97
Committee Report (Amended)


DIGEST 

This resolution incorporates the Senate Health and Human Services
Committee's four major recommendations arising from a report required by
S.C.R. 58, 74th Regular Session.  The required report looked at barriers
to home and community-based long-term care services.   

First, the state needs a plan for coordinated administration and delivery
of long-term care services to reduce duplication and administrative costs,
and to address waiting lists and unserved individuals. Second, the state
needs to look at merging the multiple long-term care waivers into a single
waiver. Third, the state should develop and evaluate a uniform functional
assessment process.  Fourth, the state needs to coordinate training
efforts across agencies to make sure that long-term care caseworkers are
familiar with all the options the state funds for these populations.   

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.C.R. 14 submits the following resolutions:

To direct the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (commission), in
conjunction with the appropriate agencies, to develop a plan to coordinate
long-term care service delivery and administration in order to expand the
array of available services, to enhance client access to services and
reduce the length of waiting lists, to provide services in the least
restrictive setting, and to maximize funding and eliminate administrative
duplication and to report its findings by January 15, 1998, to the
governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives,
the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, the House Human Services
and Public Health Committees, and the Sunset Advisory Commission. 

To direct the commission to determine the feasibility of collapsing the
multiple waivers for home-based and community-based long-term services
into a single waiver which would provide the state with the flexibility to
determine the appropriate service mix for each individual based on
functional need, to maximize the array of available services, and to
reduce administrative duplication.  

To direct the commission to oversee the development and evaluation of a
uniform functional assessment process, irrespective of age or diagnosis,
for all long-term care programs offered by the state, contingent upon the
commission receiving gifts and grants of money, property or services for
the purposes of developing and evaluating this assessment process.  

To direct the commission to work with the appropriate agencies to develop
training for caseworkers and case managers of long-term care programs
which familiarizes them with the range of long-term care programs offered
by the state. 

That the commission report on its progress with the multiple waiver study,
the development and evaluation of a uniform functional assessment process,
and the caseworker training by January 15, 1999, to the governor,
lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, the Senate
Health and Human Services Committee, and the House Human Services and
Public Health Committees.  

That the secretary of state forward an official copy of this resolution to
the commission.  

 SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

Committee Amendment No. 1, revises the third resolution in which the
commission is directed to oversee the development and evaluation of a
uniform functional assessment process.