HBA-NRS H.B. 3062 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3062
By: Garcia
Public Health
4/3/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Although the state offers health care coverage through the child health
plan (CHIP) and Medicaid, the application process for both programs is
cumbersome and hinders the ability of some parents to fill out the
paperwork. The application forms are lengthy and time consuming to
complete. This may result in many qualified applicants abandoning the
process and many qualified children being deprived of health care. House
Bill 3062 prohibits an application form for Medicaid or CHIP from exceeding
one page in length and requires such an application form to be written in
language designed to be easily understood. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Department of Health in
SECTION 1 (Section 62.103, Health and Safety Code) and to the Health and
Human Services Commission in SECTION 2 (Section 32.025, Human Resources
Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 3062 amends the Health and Safety Code to prohibit an
application form requesting child health plan (CHIP) coverage from
exceeding one page in length and provides that the application form must be
written in simple language designed to be easily understood. The bill
requires the application form to be made available in languages other than
English, as determined to be appropriate by Texas Department of Health
rule. In addition, the bill prohibits an application form for a request for
medical assistance provided to a child younger than 19 years of age from
exceeding one page in length and must be written in simple language
designed to be easily understood. The bill requires the application form to
be made available in languages other than English, as determined to be
appropriate by Health and Human Services Commission rule.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.