| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to providing notification to certain pregnant women |
|
|
regarding their eligibility for coverage under Medicaid and the |
|
|
Healthy Texas Women 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 531.0995 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 531.0995. NOTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL AUTOMATIC |
|
|
ENROLLMENT IN THE HEALTHY TEXAS WOMEN PROGRAM. (a) In this |
|
|
section, "Healthy Texas Women program" means a program operated by |
|
|
the commission that is substantially similar to the demonstration |
|
|
project operated under former Section 32.0248, Human Resources |
|
|
Code, and that is intended to expand access to preventive health and |
|
|
family planning services for women in this state. |
|
|
(b) Subject to Subsection (c), the executive commissioner |
|
|
shall adopt rules requiring the commission to provide to a woman who |
|
|
is a recipient of Medicaid during her pregnancy written notice |
|
|
that: |
|
|
(1) the woman has continuous coverage under Medicaid |
|
|
through the second month after the pregnancy ends; |
|
|
(2) if appropriate, the woman's eligibility for |
|
|
enrollment in the Healthy Texas Women program will be determined |
|
|
approximately 30 days after the date the woman's pregnancy ends; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(3) if the woman is determined eligible for the |
|
|
Healthy Texas Women program: |
|
|
(A) she will be automatically enrolled in the |
|
|
program; and |
|
|
(B) her coverage under the program begins on the |
|
|
first day following the date her Medicaid coverage ends. |
|
|
(c) The executive commissioner shall consult with the |
|
|
Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force established under |
|
|
Chapter 34, Health and Safety Code, to determine when and the manner |
|
|
by which the notice required under Subsection (b) should be |
|
|
provided to women. If feasible, the commission shall provide the |
|
|
notice to a woman before the third trimester of her pregnancy. This |
|
|
subsection expires January 1, 2020. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2020, the executive |
|
|
commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall |
|
|
adopt rules required by Section 531.0995, Government Code, as added |
|
|
by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 3. 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 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |