79R12203 UM-F
By: Villarreal H.B. No. 691
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 691:
By: Paxton C.S.H.B. No. 691
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a Medicaid health literacy pilot program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 531.02131 to read as follows:
Sec. 531.02131. MEDICAID HEALTH LITERACY PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) In order to prevent unnecessary emergency room visits and
health costs for Medicaid recipients, the commission shall develop
and implement a Medicaid health literacy pilot program in Bexar
County under which Medicaid recipients with young children receive
health information materials and training designed to improve their
health care decision-making.
(b) The pilot program must:
(1) establish a statistically significant test group
and control group of Medicaid recipients with young children; and
(2) provide the test group with health information
materials in English and Spanish that:
(A) are developed with consideration of the
literacy level of the test group; and
(B) provide the test group with information to
guide their health care decisions, including information about
common health problems, prevention, home treatment, and
circumstances in which it is appropriate to contact a health care
professional.
(c) The commission shall establish the pilot program
through a local governmental entity in Bexar County that chooses to
participate. The commission shall request participation by the
Bexar County Hospital District with the hospital district's
subsidiary, Community First Health Plans.
(d) The commission shall ensure that the pilot program is
financed using:
(1) money provided to the commission for purposes of
the program by the participating local governmental entity to
maximize federal matching money under the medical assistance
program; and
(2) any corresponding federal matching money.
(e) The participating local governmental entity may provide
money to the commission by certification or intergovernmental
transfer to finance the pilot program as described by Subsection
(d)(1).
(f) Not later than January 1, 2007, the commission shall
evaluate the pilot program and report to the 80th Legislature on the
effectiveness of the program and the feasibility of expanding the
program statewide.
(g) This section expires September 1, 2009.
SECTION 2. 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 of that provision,
the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
waiver or authorization is granted.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.