BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 25

By: González, Mary

Human Services

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised about the ability of children to accompany their mothers who are using the Medicaid medical transportation program services to travel for covered health care services related to pregnancy. C.S.H.B. 25 seeks to address these concerns by establishing a pilot program for the provision of those transportation services to certain women and children.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 25 amends the Government Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), in collaboration with the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force,  to develop and, not later than September 1, 2020, implement a pilot program in at least one health care service region that allows for a managed transportation organization that participates in the pilot program to arrange for and provide medical transportation program services to a woman who is enrolled in the STAR Medicaid managed care program during the woman's pregnancy and after she delivers and to the woman's child who accompanies the woman. The bill requires a managed transportation organization that participates in the pilot program to do the following:

·         arrange for and provide the medical transportation program services in a manner that does not result in additional costs to Medicaid or HHSC;

·         arrange for and provide demand response transportation services, including, to the extent allowed by law, through a transportation network company to the woman if:

o   the request for transportation services is made during the two working days before the date the woman requires transportation in order to receive a covered health care service; or

o   the woman receiving medical transportation program services needs to travel directly to and from a location to receive a covered health care service and cannot be a participant in a shared trip; and

·         ensure that the managed transportation organization and the managed care organization through which the woman receives health care services effectively share information and coordinate services for the woman.

C.S.H.B. 25 requires HHSC, in developing the pilot program, to ensure that a managed transportation organization participating in the program provides medical transportation services in a safe and efficient manner. The bill requires HHSC to report to the legislature on the implementation of the pilot program not later than December 1, 2020. The bill requires HHSC to evaluate the results of the pilot program and sets out certain determinations by HHSC regarding the program. The bill requires HHSC, not later than December 1, 2022, to submit a report to the legislature on the results of the pilot program, including in the report a recommendation regarding whether the program should continue, be expanded, or terminate. The bill authorizes the executive commissioner of HHSC to adopt rules to implement the bill's provisions. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2023.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 25 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute does not include provisions providing for medical transportation program services to certain eligible children and reimbursement for those services. The substitute instead includes provisions establishing a pilot program that allows for a managed transportation organization participating in the program to arrange for and provide medical transportation program services to a woman who is enrolled in the STAR Medicaid managed care program during the woman's pregnancy and after she delivers and to the woman's child who accompanies the woman.