1-1 By: Haggerty (Senate Sponsor - Carona) H.B. No. 897 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 28, 1999; 1-3 April 29, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Human 1-4 Services; May 12, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 12, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to medical assistance payments for ambulance services. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Section 32.043, Human Resources Code, as added by 1-11 Chapter 1153, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, 1-12 is amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: 1-13 (c) For an ambulance service provided to an individual who 1-14 is eligible under the medical assistance program and Medicare, the 1-15 medical assistance program shall pay the Medicare deductibles and 1-16 coinsurance. 1-17 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and 1-18 applies only to a medical assistance payment for ambulance services 1-19 that are provided on or after the effective date of this Act. 1-20 SECTION 3. If before implementing Section 32.043(c), Human 1-21 Resources Code, as added by this Act, the Health and Human Services 1-22 Commission determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal 1-23 agency is necessary for implementation, the commission shall 1-24 request the waiver or authorization and may authorize a delay in 1-25 implementing that provision until the waiver or authorization is 1-26 granted. 1-27 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-28 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-29 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-30 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-31 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-32 * * * * *