LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 23, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Patricia Gray, Chair, House Committee on Public
               Health
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2287  by Edwards (Relating to the authority of a
               hospital to share with certain attending physicians
               reimbursements for services provided to patients under
               the medical assistance program.), Committee Report 1st
               House, Substituted
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would require the Health and Human Services Commission to adopt
by rule a method by which a hospital designated as a disproportionate
share hospital may contract with physicians to provide medical services,
to indigent patients based on the hospital's indigent care eligibility
criteria.

No significant fiscal impact is estimated due to the following
assumptions:

1.  If the physician is a Medicaid provider, then he or she is already
receiving reimbursement from Medicaid.

2.  If the physician is not a Medicaid provider, then he or she is not
entitled to Medicaid reimbursement.  If the hospital does pay the
physician for services from its funds, the hospital can not claim its
costs toward its Medicaid base.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   529   Health and Human Services Commission, 324
                   Texas Department of Human Services, 501   Texas
                   Department of Health
LBB Staff:         JK, HD, PP