82R2244 NAJ-F

By: Gonzales of Hidalgo, Schwertner, H.B. No. 392

Deshotel, Brown, et al.

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, 2011.