BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 3408
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, the Health and Safety Code authorizes counties to provide certain basic health care services to indigent residents. However, Hidalgo County clinics experience a number of visits from individuals who are not classified as indigent, but who do not have other health care options. Many of these visits occur in winter, among Texans who reside in the state for only part of the year. In such situations, clinics are forced to turn people away without treatment.
H.B. 3408 authorizes a county to provide health care services to a person in the county regardless of the person's income and to provide funding for such services from the county treasury.
H.B. 3408 relates to the authority of certain counties to provide health care services.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 122, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 122.0075, as follows:
Sec. 122.0075. PROVISION OF SERVICES BY CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) Authorizes a county located on the Texas-Mexico border, as the county determines necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, to provide health care services to a person in the county regardless of the person's income. Authorizes the county to provide funding for the health care services from the county treasury.
(b) Authorizes a county to establish standards and application, documentation, and verification procedures for determining a person's eligibility to receive health care services under this section.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.