85R13333 KKR-D
 
  By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 3146
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a pilot program for providing services to certain
  children under the Medicaid medical transportation program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 531.024141 to read as follows:
         Sec. 531.024141.  PILOT PROJECT FOR PROVIDING MEDICAL
  TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM SERVICES FOR CHILDREN ACCOMPANYING PREGNANT
  MOTHERS. (a) The commission shall develop and implement a pilot
  program to enable an eligible child described by Subsection (b) to
  receive medical transportation program services and to provide
  reimbursement for those services in order to:
               (1)  increase access to prenatal and postpartum care;
               (2)  reduce pregnancy-related complications;
               (3)  improve health outcomes for pregnant women and
  infants; and 
               (4)  reduce the maternal mortality and morbidity rate.
         (b)  A child is eligible for inclusion in the pilot program
  established under this section:
               (1)  if the child's mother is:
                     (A)  a recipient of Medicaid during a pregnancy;
  and
                     (B)  is using medical transportation program
  services to travel to and from a covered health care service related
  to the pregnancy, including postpartum care; and
               (2)  regardless of whether the child is also a
  recipient of Medicaid.
         (c)  The pilot program shall be implemented in more than one
  health care service region. 
         (d)  The commission, with the assistance of the maternal
  mortality and morbidity task force established under Chapter 34,
  Health and Safety Code, shall evaluate the results of the pilot
  program and determine whether the program is effective in
  increasing access to prenatal and postpartum care, reducing
  pregnancy-related complications, improving health outcomes for
  pregnant women and their newborn children, and reducing the
  maternal mortality and morbidity rate. The evaluation must be
  based on:
               (1)  the health outcomes of the pregnant women whose
  children participated in the program and of the women's newborn
  children; or
               (2)  an assessment of the overall health care and
  pregnancy outcomes and trends in this state during the period of the
  program.
         (e)  Not later than September 1, 2019, the commission shall
  report to the legislature on the results of the pilot program. The
  report must include:
               (1)  a summary of the commission's evaluation under
  Subsection (d); and
               (2)  the impact on costs under the medical
  transportation program.
         (f)  The executive commissioner may adopt rules to implement
  this section.
         (g)  This section expires September 1, 2019.
         SECTION 2.  If before implementing any provision of this Act
  a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
  federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
  the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
  authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
  waiver or authorization is granted.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.