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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the evaluation of and reporting on certain Medicaid |
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waiver projects. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 531.021111 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.021111. SECTION 1115 WAIVER PROJECTS: FINAL |
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EVALUATION REPORTS; REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Section 1115 waiver program" means a federally |
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funded program of the state under Medicaid that is authorized under |
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Section 1115 of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section |
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1315). |
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(2) "Waiver project" means any experimental, pilot, or |
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demonstration project implemented by an entity other than a state |
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agency and funded, wholly or partly, using federal money received |
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under a Section 1115 waiver program. |
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(b) The commission shall require each entity that receives |
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funding to implement a waiver project in this state to, not later |
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than the 30th day after the date the period authorized for the |
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project terminates and regardless of whether the project is |
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continuing for another period, submit a final evaluation report to |
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the commission. A final evaluation report must: |
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(1) be based on: |
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(A) quantitative research methods involving the |
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empirical investigation of the impact of key programmatic features |
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of the waiver project; or |
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(B) if quantitative designs are technically |
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infeasible or not well suited to the change sought by the waiver |
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project, an alternative design approved by the commission; |
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(2) minimize the burden on recipients and project |
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recipient privacy while ensuring the impact of the waiver project |
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is measured; |
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(3) discuss the hypothesis being tested by the waiver |
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project; |
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(4) discuss the data used to conduct the evaluation, |
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including monitoring and reporting conducted during the waiver |
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project and the methods used for collecting the data; |
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(5) include a description of how the effects of the |
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waiver project are isolated from other factors that may contribute |
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to the change sought; and |
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(6) include any other information the commission |
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determines appropriate. |
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(c) The commission shall, as soon as practicable, but not |
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later than the 30th day after the date the commission receives a |
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final evaluation report under this section: |
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(1) submit a copy of the report along with the |
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commission's recommendations regarding the continuation of the |
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waiver project to the standing committees of the senate and house of |
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representatives with jurisdiction over Medicaid; and |
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(2) make a copy of the report available to the public |
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on the commission's Internet website. |
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(d) The commission's recommendations under Subsection |
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(c)(1) must: |
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(1) include a statement regarding whether the waiver |
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project should be modified in any manner, made permanent, |
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eliminated, or extended to allow more time for review; and |
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(2) provide justification for the recommendations, |
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including a detailed cost-benefit analysis of the waiver project. |
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SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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waiver or authorization is granted. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |