SRC-MKV H.B. 342 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 342
77R1209 JAT-DBy: McClendon (Van de Putte)
Health & Human Services
4/26/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

The House Committee on Public Health, in its Interim Report to the 77th
Legislature, indicated that disease management is a growing trend in both
public and privately funded health care delivery systems. The focus of
disease management is on improving quality and containing total cost to
provide a more effective and systematic approach to managing patients with
chronic illnesses. The Subcommittee on Disease Management, in addressing
the charge of evaluating the role and potential of disease management in
public health programs serving chronically ill populations, recommended
that a disease management pilot study be conducted to study asthma. More
than one million Texans suffer from asthma and one-third are children.
Asthma, which is a chronic, potentially fatal disease, appears to be an
ideal target for disease management, as it has the potential through
disease management for costeffectiveness while improving the quality of
care. H.B. 342 establishes a children's asthma disease management pilot
study to be conducted in both a rural and urban environment using
techniques that are transferable to private practice.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Health
in SECTION 1 (Section 95.001, Health and Safety Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Title 2D, Health and Safety Code by adding Chapter 95,
as follows: 

CHAPTER 95.  CHILDREN'S ASTHMA DISEASE MANAGEMENT PILOT STUDY

Sec. 95.001.  CHILDREN'S ASTHMA DISEASE MANAGEMENT PILOT STUDY.  (a)
Requires the Texas Department of Health (department) by rule to establish a
pilot study to compare preventative disease management methods for treating
children's asthma with traditional methods of treating the disease. 

(b) Requires the department to conduct the pilot study in an urban setting
and in a rural setting. 

(c) Requires the department, in conducting the pilot study, to use disease
management techniques that are transferrable to private practice and to
other geographical areas of the state. 

  (d) Authorizes the pilot study to measure certain outcomes.

Sec. 95.002.  REPORT.  (a) Requires the department, not later than November
1, 2002, to submit to the legislature an interim written report containing
the findings of the pilot study. 

(b) Requires the department, not later than November 1, 2003, to submit to
the legislature a final written report containing the findings of the pilot
study and the  department's recommendations. 

Sec. 95.003.  EXPIRATION DATE.  Provides that this chapter expires
September 1, 2005. 

SECTION 2.  Provides the Texas Department of Health to request a waiver or
authorization and authorizes the agency to delay implementing that
provision until the waiver or authorization is granted, if the agency
determines before implementing SECTION 1 of this Act that a waiver or
authorization from a federal agency is necessary. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.