Amend CSSB 8 (house committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:
SECTION ____. Section 32.073, Human Resources Code, is amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
(c) Not later than the second anniversary of the date national standards for electronic prior authorization of benefits are adopted, the Health and Human Services Commission shall require a health benefit plan issuer participating in the medical assistance program or the agent of the health benefit plan issuer that manages or administers prescription drug benefits to exchange prior authorization requests electronically with a prescribing provider participating in the medical assistance program who has electronic prescribing capability and who initiates a request electronically.
SECTION ____. (a) The Health and Human Services Commission shall study the feasibility of developing and implementing a single standard prior authorization form to be used for requesting prior authorization for prescription drugs in the medical assistance program by participating prescribers who do not have electronic prescribing capability and are not able to initiate electronic prior authorization requests. The commission shall complete the study not later than December 31, 2014.
(b) If the Health and Human Services Commission determines that developing and implementing the form described in Subsection (a) of this section is feasible, will reduce administrative burdens, and is cost-effective, the commission shall adjust contracts with participating health benefit plan issuers and participating health benefit plan administrators to require acceptance of the form.