BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2091

By: Ortega

Human Services

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been observed that community health workers, also known as promotoras, are an important resource used to ensure quality access to health care within Medicaid managed care organizations. Currently, costs associated with these workers are considered an administrative expense, which are capped at a certain amount. C.S.H.B. 2091 seeks to address a funding barrier to hiring additional community health workers by requiring managed care organizations that are contracted to provide services through the STAR Medicaid managed care program to categorize services provided by a promotora or community health worker as a quality improvement.

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

C.S.H.B. 2091 amends the Government Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to allow each managed care organization that contracts with HHSC to provide health care services to recipients under the STAR Medicaid managed care program to categorize services provided by a promotora or community health worker as a quality improvement cost, as authorized by federal law, instead of as an administrative expense.           

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2091 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 includes a specification that the requirement applies only with respect to the categorization of services as authorized by federal law.