Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3175 by Simpson (Relating to the creation and operations of health care provider participation programs in certain counties.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code by adding Chapter 291 to establish a health care provider participation program for certain counties located in the Texas and Louisiana region. The health care provider participation program would authorize a county to collect mandatory payments from nonprofit hospitals. These payments would be deposited into a local provider participation fund to fund intergovernmental transfers and subsidize indigent care programs. Intergovernmental transfers would be used by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) as the nonfederal share to draw down Medicaid supplemental payments. The bill specifies that if a state agency determines that a waiver from a federal agency is necessary, the agency shall request the waiver and delay implementation until such waiver is received.
The nonfederal share of Texas Medicaid supplemental payments is provided largely by local public funds provided to the Health and Human Services Commission by intergovernmental transfer. The bill's provisions do not contain any implications for state General Revenue funds. HHSC reports that there would be no significant fiscal impact to the agency resulting from implementation of the bill.
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2015, or immediately with a vote of two-thirds of all members in both houses.
Local Government Impact
Because the bill would not have statewide impact on units of local government of the same type or class, no comment from this office is required by the rules of the House/Senate as to its probable fiscal implication on units of local government.