BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 606

By: Davis, Sarah

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The use of prenatal surgical procedures to reverse chronic, life-long health conditions is showing much promise at fetal centers across the country. Medical facilities in Texas have been performing corrective procedures and conducting research to advance further procedures into the trial phase. Interested parties assert that, with the potential to completely correct a debilitating, chronic health condition in-utero, such procedures could provide significant cost-savings to the Texas Medicaid program. H.B. 606 provides for a study to determine which in-utero procedures will have a positive fiscal impact on the Texas Medicaid program. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

H.B. 606 requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to conduct a study to evaluate the benefits of prenatal surgical procedures to treat birth defects. The bill requires the procedures studied to include fetoscopic placental laser ablation, maternal-fetal surgery, and any other type of prenatal surgical procedure that is or becomes the standard of practice for treating a birth defect. The bill requires the study to analyze the difference in average total cost to the Medicaid program, private health benefit plan coverage, and individuals and other payors between conducting a prenatal surgical procedure and a postnatal procedure to treat a birth defect, including any continuing treatments needed after either procedure, and to analyze any improvement in survival rates, long-term outcomes, and quality of life for children with birth defects following a prenatal surgical procedure as compared to a postnatal procedure to treat a birth defect. The bill requires HHSC, not later than December 1, 2016, to submit a written report on the results of the study to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, House Committee on Public Health, and Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2017.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.