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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the cost effects of expanding eligibility for medical |
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assistance under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care |
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Act. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 32.02473 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 32.02473. COST EFFECTS OF EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR |
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MEDICAL ASSISTANCE UNDER PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE |
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ACT. (a) In this section, "commission" means the Health and Human |
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Services Commission. |
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(b) If the commission expands eligibility for medical |
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assistance in accordance with and provides medical assistance using |
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federal matching funds made available under the Patient Protection |
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and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. No. 111-148) as amended by the |
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Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. No. |
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111-152) to provide that assistance, the commission, in cooperation |
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with the comptroller and Legislative Budget Board, shall conduct a |
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study regarding the cost effects of that expanded eligibility. The |
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study must identify: |
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(1) the estimated amount of uncompensated care costs |
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the state will save each state fiscal year by expanding that |
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eligibility; |
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(2) the estimated amount of health care costs hospital |
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districts in this state will save each state fiscal year by |
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expanding that eligibility; and |
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(3) based on the estimated cost savings identified |
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under Subdivision (2), the appropriate reduction of hospital |
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district tax rates that would reflect the reduced need for hospital |
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district tax revenue to support uncompensated care because of |
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expanding medical assistance eligibility. |
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(c) The commission shall report to the legislature the |
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information regarding the reduction of hospital district tax rates |
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identified in Subsection (b)(3) for consideration and appropriate |
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action by the legislature. |
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(d) The commission shall ensure that cost savings |
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identified under Subsection (b)(1) are reflected in each biennial |
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legislative appropriations request submitted to the Legislative |
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Budget Board by the commission or a health and human services |
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agency. |
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(e) In preparing a general appropriations bill as required |
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by Section 322.008, Government Code, the Legislative Budget Board |
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shall ensure that any proposed appropriation for providing health |
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care to residents of this state reflects the cost savings |
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identified under Subsection (b)(1) and the legislative |
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appropriations requests prepared in accordance with Subsection |
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(d). |
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SECTION 2. (a) Not later than the first anniversary of the |
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effective date of expanded eligibility criteria implemented in |
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accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act |
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(Pub. L. No. 111-148) as amended by the Health Care and Education |
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Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. No. 111-152) for the Medicaid |
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program, the Health and Human Services Commission, in cooperation |
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with the comptroller of public accounts and the Legislative Budget |
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Board, shall complete the study required under Section 32.02473(b), |
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Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, and make the report to |
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the legislature as required under Section 32.02473(c), Human |
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Resources Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) Sections 32.02473(d) and (e), Human Resources Code, as |
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added by this Act, apply only to legislative appropriations |
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requests and general appropriations bills, respectively, prepared |
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on or after the date the Health and Human Services Commission |
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submits the report required by Section 32.02473(c), Human Resources |
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Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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waiver or authorization is granted. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |