BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1220

By: Hinojosa

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Several years ago, the Texas Legislature required the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to conduct a review of rate and expenditure disparities between the Texas-Mexico border region and other areas of the state, both for Medicaid and the child health plan program. The statutory authority for a periodic evaluation of such disparities will soon expire. S.B. 1220 seeks to extend those provisions until September 1, 2015, and to require HHSC to submit a report to the legislature not later than December 1, 2014, regarding the commission's plan to eliminate Medicaid and child health plan disparities in rates and expenditures in certain areas of the state.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1220 amends the Government Code to re-create the advisory committee established under statutory provisions relating to health and human services rates and expenditures in the Texas-Mexico border region and to the development of a strategic plan to eliminate certain disparities between the border region and other areas of the state. The bill requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to appoint the members of the advisory committee as required by those provisions not later than December 1, 2011.  The bill redefines "committee" to mean the advisory committee on Medicaid and child health plan program (CHIP) rate and expenditure disparities between the Texas-Mexico border region and other areas of the state, rather than the advisory committee on funding disparities in health programs, appointed by the executive commissioner.

S.B. 1220 updates an obsolete provision that required HHSC to contract with a public university to measure changes occurring from September 1, 2001, to August 31, 2004, in the number of health care providers participating in the Medicaid or CHIP program in the Texas-Mexico border region and resulting effects on consumer access to health care and consumer utilization, to make related determinations and recommendations, and to submit a report to the legislature not later than December 1, 2004.  The bill instead requires HHSC to conduct a similar measurement of changes occurring from September 1, 2002, to August 31, 2014, in the number of health care providers participating in the Medicaid or CHIP program in the Texas-Mexico border region and resulting effects on consumer access to health care and consumer utilization and to make the related determinations and recommendations on the same matters as charged to the public university with which HHSC previously was required to contract.

S.B. 1220 requires HHSC to submit a report to the legislature regarding its measurement of changes, determinations, and recommendations to the legislature not later than December 1, 2014. The bill postpones from September 1, 2011, to September 1, 2015, the expiration date for provisions relating to rates and expenditures in the Texas-Mexico border region and the development of a strategic plan to eliminate certain disparities between the border region and other areas of the state. The bill makes technical corrections to change a reference from the commissioner of health and human services to the executive commissioner of health and human services in accordance with Chapter 198 (H.B. 2292), Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, August 29, 2011.