BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 2710
81R21887 JSC-D By: Coleman (Deuell)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Physical and occupational therapy are not services a county is currently required to provide under the state indigent health care program. A patient's only option is to seek these services at a hospital, but many of the state's poorest residents do not live near a hospital and do not have access to physical and occupational therapy services.
H.B. 2710 includes physical and occupational therapy services in the medically necessary services a county is authorized to provide under the Indigent Health Care and Treatment Act.
[Note: While the statutory reference in this bill is to the Texas Department of Health (TDH), the following amendments affect the Department of State Health Services as the successor agency to TDH.]
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 2 of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 61.0285(a), Health and Safety Code, as follows:
(a) Authorizes a county, in addition to basic health care services provided under Section 61.028 (Basic Health Care Services), in accordance with Texas Department of Health (TDH) rules adopted under Section 61.006 (Standards and Procedures), to provide other medically necessary services or supplies that the county determines to be cost-effective, including physical and occupational therapy services and any other appropriate health care service identified by TDH rule, rather than Texas Board of Health rule, that may be determined to be cost-effective.
SECTION 2. Requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to adopt rules necessary to implement Section 61.0285, Health and Safety Code, as amended by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.