SRC-CTC H.B. 3043 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 3043
77R8806 TBy: Luna, Vilma (Truan)
Health & Human Services
5/9/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Hospital districts are designed to provide indigent care.  In order to
qualify for indigent care, an eligible resident must provide certain
documentation to prove that income and resource requirements have been met.
Hospital districts have experienced an increase in demand for and related
costs of providing health care, as well as numerous fraudulent
misrepresentations when processing applications for enrollment in the
indigent health care program.  Unlike county-funded indigent care programs,
state law does not give hospital districts the authority to establish
procedures to prevent and detect fraud and disqualify individuals from
participating in the indigent care program as a result of fraud.  H.B. 3043
authorizes hospital districts to establish a method to minimize, identify,
and eliminate fraud in indigent health care programs.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 61C, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section
61.066, as follows: 

Sec. 61.066.  PREVENTION AND DETECTION OF FRAUD.  Authorizes a hospital
district to adopt reasonable procedures for minimizing the opportunity for
fraud, for establishing and maintaining methods for detecting and
identifying situations in which a questions of fraud may exist, and for
administrative hearings to be conducted on disqualifying persons in cases
where fraud appears to exist.  Requires procedures established by a
hospital district for administrative hearings conducted under this section
to provide for appropriate due process, including procedures for appeals. 

Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.