By: Lindsay S.B. No. 1202
(In the Senate - Filed March 12, 2003; March 19, 2003, read
first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human Services;
April 14, 2003, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 14, 2003,
sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1202 By: Lindsay
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to directing the Texas Department of Health to study and
report on the use and effectiveness of nurse triage lines.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of Health.
(2) "Nurse triage line" means a telephone hot line
that persons may call to obtain advice from a nurse or other health
care professional regarding whether a person should promptly seek
medical care.
SECTION 2. STUDY. The department shall study the use and
effectiveness of nurse triage lines. In conducting the study, the
department shall:
(1) identify and communicate with health care plans
and health care providers that offer clients access to a nurse
triage line;
(2) review the current operation of nurse triage lines
by private and public sector health care plans and health care
providers in this state and other states;
(3) determine the extent to which multiple nurse
triage lines available in the same geographic area are currently
coordinated and consider how best to coordinate the activities of
multiple nurse triage lines in the same geographic area;
(4) study how the availability of nurse triage lines
is currently advertised and consider how to improve the marketing
of the service;
(5) identify areas of the state that do not have access
to a nurse triage line;
(6) identify the types of individuals who currently
have and who currently do not have access to a nurse triage line,
including Medicaid fee-for-service clients, Medicaid managed care
clients, Medicaid primary care case management clients, persons
enrolled in the state child health plan, and persons who obtain
health care from any public health entity;
(7) identify any liability issues that affect giving
advice through a nurse triage line; and
(8) study how nurse triage lines have impacted the use
of emergency and trauma rooms in this state.
SECTION 3. STATEWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN. The department shall
develop a statewide strategic plan on how to maximize the
effectiveness and operation of nurse triage lines in this state.
The plan must:
(1) include strategies that the state should employ to
improve access to and coordination of existing nurse triage lines;
(2) address the cost of each element of the strategic
plan and possible sources of funding for implementing the plan;
(3) recommend any necessary legislation;
(4) include strategies for improving state support of
health care plans and providers that currently offer nurse triage
lines and improving coordination of existing nurse triage lines;
and
(5) recommend measures to increase access to nurse
triage lines by underserved areas and underserved populations.
SECTION 4. REPORT. (a) The department shall publish the
results and findings of its study together with the statewide
strategic plan developed as a result of the study in a report that
the department shall issue to the governor, the presiding officer
of each house of the legislature, and the members of each standing
committee of either house of the legislature that has jurisdiction
over the department.
(b) The department shall issue the report not later than
November 1, 2004.
SECTION 5. EXPIRATION. This Act expires June 1, 2005.
SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2003.
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