81R7515 ALB-F
 
  By: Gonzales, Deshotel, Ritter, Hilderbran H.B. No. 2205
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a county's eligibility to receive state assistance for
  health care expenditures that exceed eight percent of the county's
  general revenue levy for the year.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 61.037, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
         (b-1)  A county may include as part of the county's eight
  percent expenditure level calculated under Subsection (b)(1) any
  payment made by the county for health care services provided
  through Medicaid, including the county's direct reimbursement to
  health care providers and indirect reimbursement through transfers
  of funds to the state for health care services provided through
  Medicaid.
         SECTION 2.  Section 61.038, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.038.  DISTRIBUTION OF ASSISTANCE FUNDS.  (a)  If the
  department determines that a county is eligible for assistance, the
  department shall distribute funds appropriated to the department
  from the indigent health care assistance fund or any other
  available fund to the county to assist the county in providing:
               (1)  health care services under Sections 61.028 and
  61.0285 to its eligible county residents who qualify for assistance
  as described by Section 61.037; or
               (2)  health care services provided through Medicaid as
  described by Section 61.037(b-1).
         (b)  State funds provided under this section to a county must
  be equal to at least 90 percent of the actual payment for the health
  care services for the county's eligible residents, including any
  payments made by the county for health care services provided
  through Medicaid as described by Section 61.037(b-1), during the
  remainder of the state fiscal year after the eight percent
  expenditure level is reached.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.