SRC-MKV S.B. 812 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 812
77R3202 SGA-DBy: Carona
Health & Human Services
2/23/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently in Texas, women seeking preventative health and family services
who are Medicaid clients are only eligible if they are living at or below
17 percent of the federal poverty level.  There are 1.5 million uninsured
women in Texas, and 1 million are living at or below 185 percent of the
federal poverty level.  S.B. 812 requires the Health and Human Services
Commission to create a Medicaid waiver expanding eligibility to women
living at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level for
preventative health and family planning services. 

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 Section 32.024, Human Resources Code, by adding
Subsection (x), to require the Health and Human Services Commission or an
agency operating part of the medical assistance program (department) to set
the income eligibility cap for medical assistance at 185 percent of the
federal poverty level for preventive health and family planning services
for women. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 32B, Human Resources Code, by adding Section
32.0247, as follows: 

Sec. 32.0247.  IDENTIFICATION OF OTHER FUNDING SOURCES FOR CLIENTS OF
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.  Requires the department to compile a list of potential
funding sources a client can use to help pay for treatment for health
problems identified using preventive health services provided to the client
under the medical assistance program and for which the client is not
eligible to receive treatment under the program. 

SECTION 3.  Requires that, if before implementing any provision of this Act
a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal
agency is necessary for implementation, the state agency request the waiver
or authorization and authorizes the delay of implementation of that
provision until the waiver or authorization is granted. 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.