SRC-ARR S.B. 381 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 381
76R2225 JRD-DBy: Madla
Health Services
4/19/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

As Texas approaches the new century an aging physician workforce, and a
growing, rapidly aging rural patient population will put a strain on rural
health care. This strain will be felt by the family medicine practitioners
and emergency room physicians who provide the majority of the care in rural
counties in Texas. S.B. 381 would establish a visiting physician program to
provide temporary relief to physicians practicing in rural areas of the
state. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 381 establishes a visiting physician program to provide
temporary relief to physicians practicing in rural areas of the state. 

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 106, Health and Safety Code, by adding Subchapter
G, as follows: 

SUBCHAPTER G. VISITING PHYSICIAN PROGRAM

 Sec. 106.201. DEFINITIONS. Defines "physician," "primary care," and "rural
care."  

Sec. 106.202. VISITING PHYSICIAN PROGRAM; CONTRACTS WITH PUBLIC MEDICAL
SCHOOLS AND HEALTH SCIENCE CENTERS. Requires the Center for Rural Health
Initiatives to establish a visiting physician program to provide temporary
relief for certain physicians.  Requires the center to implement the
program through contracts with one or more health science centers or
medical schools that are affiliated with an institution of higher
education.  Requires the health sciences center or medical school under
contract to provide for furnishing a visiting physician. Requires a health
sciences center or medical school that enters into a contract with the
center under this section to agree to provide for furnishing a minimum of
1,600 hours of visiting primary care during a calendar year. 

Sec. 106.203. PAYMENT FOR SERVICES PROVIDED BY VISITING PHYSICIAN.
Establishes that a visiting physician is provided without cost to the rural
physician. Requires payment by or  behalf of patients for services provided
by a visiting physician to be obtained through the usual billing and
collection procedures used by the rural physician's office. Requires money
received in payment for the services to be applied first toward the
overhead expenses of operating the rural physician's practice during the
time that the rural physician is away  and the visiting physician is
providing the services.  Requires money received in payment for the
visiting physician's services that exceeds the amount of the overhead
expenses to be paid to the Center for Rural Health Initiatives to defray
the cost of administering this chapter or to apply toward the cost of the
contract under which the visiting physician was provided. 

SECTION 2. Emergency clause.
                      Effective date: upon passage.