BILL ANALYSIS
By: Uresti
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Children in foster care frequently are moved between multiple placements and receive medical care from numerous care providers. There is currently not a system in place to track their history of medical histories contributes to a reduced quality of medical care for foster children that can lead to poor health outcomes, injury or death. The creation of a health passport for foster children by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) will ensure that their medical records and all other pertinent records are accessible in any medical care location, allowing providers to continually consult and update medical histories for each child in care after each visit.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Executive Commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) in SECTION 1 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 799 requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to develop and implement a health passport for each foster child in its care. The passport is to be developed, to the extent possible, using existing computer resources. The passport may include the child's medical providers' contact information; records of visits to health care providers; medical and immunization histories; and any other information deemed important by the department.
The passport is to secure and confidential. The passport will be a part of the department's record for the child as long as the child remains in foster care. HHSC is required to provide training or instructional materials to foster parents, physicians and other health care providers regarding the use of the health passport.
The department is required to make health passport information available in printed or electronic formats to all individuals having to do with the child's care.
The passport must be implemented no later than September 1, 2007.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The substitute bill differs from the original bill by: