HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1     Directing the Health and Human Services Commission to maximize
 1-2     federal funding for outreach activities related to children's
 1-3     health insurance.
 1-4           WHEREAS, Access to health care services is vital to the
 1-5     long-term health, welfare, happiness, and success of Texas
 1-6     children; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, Many of the children in Texas face significant
 1-8     barriers to accessing health care services, as evidenced by recent
 1-9     studies showing that almost 1.5 million, or one out of every five,
1-10     Texas children lack health insurance; and
1-11           WHEREAS, As many as one million of these children may
1-12     currently be eligible for health insurance through the state
1-13     Medicaid program or prospectively be eligible for the new state
1-14     Childrens' Health Insurance Program; and
1-15           WHEREAS, Without diligent efforts by the state to seek out
1-16     and enroll eligible children in state programs and link ineligible
1-17     but still needy children to private insurers, these children may
1-18     not access health insurance and therefore never reach their full
1-19     potential as adults; and
1-20           WHEREAS, The federal government has made available
1-21     approximately $27.5 million in matching funds for the purpose of
1-22     outreach activities and has offered these funds at an enhanced
1-23     matching rate; and
1-24           WHEREAS, The federal statute that created this pool of funds
 2-1     specifies that the funds may only be accessed during the first 12
 2-2     quarters that the state receives Temporary Assistance to Needy
 2-3     Families funds, and the state currently is in its 10th quarter
 2-4     receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funds; now,
 2-5     therefore, be it
 2-6           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
 2-7     hereby direct the Health and Human Services Commission, in
 2-8     conjunction with the appropriate state health and human services
 2-9     agencies, to maximize the amount of Texas' federal receipts from
2-10     this new funding source as soon as possible; and, be it further
2-11           RESOLVED, That the Health and Human Services Commission
2-12     utilize these funds to implement targeted and culturally
2-13     appropriate community-based outreach programs, develop educational
2-14     programs relating to current or future beneficiaries, simplify
2-15     eligibility and enrollment processes, train eligibility workers,
2-16     providers, and the community on available resources, update
2-17     eligibility systems, and target individuals at risk of losing
2-18     Medicaid benefits due to welfare reform.
                                                                     Coleman
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.C.R. No. 96 was adopted by the House on
         April 16, 1999, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.C.R. No. 96 was adopted by the Senate on May
         26, 1999, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _____________________
                            Date
                    _____________________
                          Governor