| TO: | Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2710 by Coleman (Relating to indigent health care services provided by a county.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend Section 61.028 of the Health and Safety Code to require a county to provide physical and occupational therapy services as part of their indigent health care services within areas not serviced by either public hospitals or hospital districts. The executive director of the Health and Human Services Commission would be required to adopt rules necessary to implement Section 61.028 not later than December 1, 2009. A county would not be required to provide physical and occupational therapy services before January 1, 2010.
It is assumed that any costs associated with rule-making could be absorbed within existing resources.
The cost to counties would vary depending on whether a county already provides the services that would be required under the provisions of the bill and whether a public hospital or hospital district exists within the county. The level of demand for the services (number of indigent persons in need of physical or occupational therapy) would not have an effect on the fiscal impact, because to provide the services, it is assumed a county would have to have the services available regardless. Therefore, this analysis assumes that, at a minimum, a county that would have to provide these services would have to employ one physical therapist, one occupational therapist, and possibly one support staff, plus pay for facility space and any necessary equipment and supplies.
According to estimates calculated by the Texas Association of Counties based on extrapolations of data from a sample of 10 counties, the negative fiscal impact could be significant to those counties not currently providing physical and occupational therapy and in which there is neither a public hospital nor a hospital district, or, if there is a hospital district, it covers only a portion of the county. There would be no fiscal impact to a county that already provides the services or in which a public hospital or a hospital district is located.
| Source Agencies: |
| LBB Staff: | JOB, DB
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