| TO: | Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB2424 by Deuell (Relating to the authorization of certain nonemergency ambulance services under the Medicaid program.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend Section 32.024(t), Human Resources Code, and would require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to adopt rules that would require physicians, nursing facilities, health care providers or other responsible parties to obtain authorization for one-day, non-emergency ambulance services for Medicaid recipients on the same day or the next business day following the transport. It would also require HHSC to have staff available to evaluate requests for authorization for a minimum of 12 hours each day excluding holidays and weekends.
The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house. If the bill does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, it would have an effective date of September 1, 2009.
HHSC would cancel an existing contract for 24-hour access to prior-authorization services. The requirement of the bill for 12-hour staffing would bring this prior-authorization function in line with others used by HHSC programs. It is assumed that both the contract savings and staffing costs would not be significant.
| Source Agencies: | 529 Health and Human Services Commission
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, CL, MB
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