By Coleman H.C.R. No. 96 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 Directing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to 1-2 maximize federal funding for outreach activities related to 1-3 children's 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 children; 1-6 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 one and one-half million, or one out of 1-10 every five, 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 2-2 twelve quarters that the state receives Temporary Assistance to 2-3 Needy Families funds and that the state currently is in its tenth 2-4 quarter receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funds; 2-5 now, therefore, be it 2-6 RESOLVED, That the 76th Texas Legislature and the State of 2-7 Texas hereby direct the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, 2-8 in conjunction with the appropriate health and human services state 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 Texas 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.