|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to a survey for women enrolled in 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 531.09951 to read as follows: |
|
Sec. 531.09951. HEALTHY TEXAS WOMEN PROGRAM SURVEY. (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) The commission shall develop a survey for women enrolled |
|
in the Healthy Texas Women program to solicit information for |
|
improving the operation of the program. The commission shall seek |
|
comments from interested persons in developing the survey. The |
|
survey may solicit information regarding: |
|
(1) whether a woman's health care provider under the |
|
program is the same provider who treated the woman before she was |
|
enrolled in the program, and if not, the method by which the woman |
|
found her provider; |
|
(2) the length of time between the date the woman's |
|
Medicaid or child health plan program coverage ended and the date of |
|
her first visit to a health care provider participating in the |
|
program; |
|
(3) notable barriers to the woman's health care |
|
access; and |
|
(4) any other information the commission considers |
|
necessary or useful in determining program improvements. |
|
(c) The commission shall include in each provider cost |
|
reimbursement contract in the Healthy Texas Women program |
|
provisions that require the provider to: |
|
(1) distribute the survey to a woman on the woman's |
|
first visit to the provider after her enrollment in the program; and |
|
(2) return the completed survey to the commission. |
|
(d) The commission may not take any enforcement action |
|
against a provider who is unable to comply with the contract |
|
provisions described by Subsection (c). |
|
(e) The commission shall compile the information obtained |
|
under this section and use the information to improve the operation |
|
of the Healthy Texas Women program. Not later than December 1 of |
|
each even-numbered year, the commission shall prepare and submit a |
|
written report that includes the compiled information about the |
|
program and the commission's recommendations for improving the |
|
operation of the program to the governor, the lieutenant governor, |
|
the speaker of the house of representatives, and the presiding |
|
officers of the standing committees of the senate and house of |
|
representatives having primary jurisdiction over health and human |
|
services issues. |
|
(f) Any personally identifying information in a patient's |
|
medical records acquired by the commission under this section is |
|
confidential and is not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552. |
|
(g) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to ensure |
|
that the use of any health information under this section complies |
|
with all state and federal laws relating to the privacy, |
|
protection, confidentiality, and transmission of health |
|
information, including the Health Insurance Portability and |
|
Accountability Act of 1996 (Pub. L. No. 104-191) and rules adopted |
|
under that Act. |
|
SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2020, the executive |
|
commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall |
|
develop the survey and adopt rules required by Section 531.09951, |
|
Government Code, as added by this Act. |
|
SECTION 3. Section 531.09951, Government Code, as added by |
|
this Act, applies only to a contract entered into or renewed on or |
|
after the effective date of this Act. A contract entered into or |
|
renewed before that date is governed by the law in effect on the |
|
date the contract was entered into or renewed, and that law is |
|
continued in effect for that purpose. |
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |