BILL ANALYSIS
By: Delisi
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
CSHB 3466 aims to help control growing health issues and contain costs associated with various unhealthy behaviors in the Texas Medicaid program. It proposes the use of certain incentives to Medicaid recipients for engaging in healthy behavior and proposes the use of a pilot program before determining whether to implement the incentives statewide.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
CSHB 3466 requires the Health and Human Services Commission (commission), if it is feasible and cost-effective, to develop and implement incentives to encourage Medicaid recipients to engage in healthy behaviors. Incentives may include enhanced benefit accounts or other similar rewards accounts that allow Medicaid recipients who engage in prescribed health-related activities to earn credits to the accounts that may be used to obtain enhanced health care benefits. The bill allows the commission to implement the incentives in a pilot program before determining whether to implement statewide. The bill requires that the incentives developed and implemented provide positive rewards for healthy behaviors, and not punitive incentives. It also directs a state agency to seek any necessary federal waiver or authorization needed for implementation of this act, and authorizes delaying the implementation until the waiver or authorization is granted.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
CSHB 3466 amends the original, by adding "Incentives developed and implemented under this section shall provide positive rewards for healthy behaviors, and not punitive incentives."