| TO: | Honorable Lois W. Kolkhorst, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services |
| FROM: | John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB749 by Kolkhorst (Relating to level of care designations for hospitals that provide neonatal and maternal care.), As Introduced |
The bill would require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to adopt additional rules relating to the level of care designations for hospitals. In adopting rules relating to hospitals, the bill would prohibit HHSC from excluding telehealth or telemedicine medical services by physicians for certain rural hospitals. The bill would also require HHSC to develop and implement a process through which a hospital may waive one or more requirements for a level of care designation. HHSC indicates that these provisions would have no fiscal impact.
The bill would repeal the provision abolishing the Perinatal Advisory Council on September 1, 2025, and require the Sunset Advisory Commission to review the Perinatal Advisory Council during the period in which the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is reviewed. DSHS and the Sunset Advisory Commission assume that the agencies could support this strategic review process using existing staff.
The bill would require HHSC, in consultation with the Perinatal Advisory Council, to conduct a strategic review of the practical implementation of rules relating to hospital level of care designations for neonatal and maternal care. Based on the review, HHSC would be required to modify these rules as appropriate, and submit a report to the Legislature that summarizes this review and any actions taken. HHSC indicates that these provisions would have no fiscal impact for the agency. DSHS assumes that this requirement could be completed with existing staff.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2019.
| Source Agencies: | 116 Sunset Advisory Commission, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 537 State Health Services, Department of
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| LBB Staff: | WP, AKi, JQ, MNa
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