Honorable Myra Crownover, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB839 by Naishtat (Relating to presumptive eligibility for Medicaid and the child health plan program for certain children.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to adopt rules providing for presumptive eligibility for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for children released from certain juvenile justice settings. The agency would be directed to seek any necessary federal waiver or authorization and could delay implementation of any provision until such waiver or authorization is granted. According to HHSC, there would be one-time costs for modifications to the Texas Integrated Eligibility and Redesign System (TIERS) and additional costs to provide Medicaid or CHIP benefits to eligible children. It is assumed that the number of children who would be found presumptively eligible and later determined ineligible for the programs would be small. There could also be an increase to the number of children enrolled in the programs who were previously eligible but unenrolled. Absent significant outreach, it is assumed that any cost associated with implementing the provisions of the bill would not be significant.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.