BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2454

By: Klick

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that the overall quality of nursing facilities in Texas remains poor despite recent efforts to increase funding. These parties call for adequate incentives for these facilities to achieve better clinical outcomes for nursing facility residents. H.B. 2454 seeks to better serve taxpayers and care recipients by revising a requirement relating to the provision of a program offering incentives for increasing direct care staff and direct care wages and benefits under Medicaid.

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. 2454 amends the Human Resources Code to remove language limiting the provision of a program to improve the quality of care under Medicaid as provided by rules of the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) governing the determination of rates paid for nursing facility services that offers incentives for increasing direct care staff and direct care wages and benefits only to the extent that appropriated funds are available after money is allocated to base rate reimbursements as determined by the nursing facility rate setting methodologies of HHSC. The bill revises the provision of such a program by providing for separate programs for offering nursing facility quality-based payment incentives and for increasing direct care staff and direct care wages and benefits.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.