| TO: | Honorable Lois W. Kolkhorst, Chair, House Committee on Public Health |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB3141 by Gonzalez Toureilles (Relating to medical assistance reimbursement for prescriptions issued by certain health care providers.), As Introduced |
The bill would direct the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to reimburse a pharmacy or other health care provider for prescription drugs provided to a Medicaid eligible recipient while the prescribing provider's application for Medicaid enrollment is pending approval. It would allow HHSC to create a temporary enrollment number for providers who write prescriptions, prior to granting a permanent number. The temporary number could be used by the provider when issuing prescriptions subject to the provisions of the bill.
HHSC indicated that prescribing practitioners are not required to be enrolled with Medicaid in order for a prescription to be paid through the Vendor Drug Program. Current administrative rules require that pharmacies submit the identification number of the prescribing practitioner, as listed with the appropriate medical specialty board, on each prescription drug claim. Therefore, the bill would not impact the agency's current procedures.
| Source Agencies: | 529 Health and Human Services Commission
|
| LBB Staff: | JOB, CL, MB
|