BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3991

By: Bohac

Human Services

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The deaf-blind with multiple disabilities (DBMD) Medicaid waiver program provides home and community-based services to persons who are deaf-blind with multiple disabilities as a cost-effective alternative to institutionalization. Under the DBMD waiver program, orientation and mobility specialists and interveners provide individualized care and service planning to increase opportunities for enrolled persons to communicate and interact with their environment. Unfortunately, due to the limited slots available, hundreds of people are waiting for services through the DBMD waiver program. Pursuant to a recommendation by the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, C.S.H.B. 3991 seeks to increase the number of slots available in the DBMD waiver program while also establishing minimum reimbursement rates for interveners and orientation and mobility specialists providing services under the program.

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. 3991 amends the Government Code to require the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to establish by rule minimum reimbursement rates for interveners and orientation and mobility specialists providing services under the deaf-blind with multiple disabilities (DBMD) Medicaid waiver program that take into account the provider's level of training, education, and experience. The bill requires the rates to be adjusted annually for inflation. The bill requires the executive commissioner to ensure that the minimum reimbursement rates established for interveners and orientation and mobility specialists under the DBMD waiver program are based on the most recent full rate analysis conducted by HHSC.

C.S.H.B. 3991 amends the Human Resources Code to require the executive commissioner to increase the number of persons receiving home-based and community-based services under the DBMD waiver program by 100 for each of state fiscal years 2020 and 2021 and, for each subsequent state fiscal year beginning with state fiscal year 2022, by 10 percent of the number of recipients on the interest list for home-based and community-based services under the DBMD waiver program as determined on the first day of the applicable state fiscal year and rounded to the nearest whole number.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3991 differs from the original only by including a council draft number in the footer.