By: Beckley H.B. No. 512
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a Medicaid buy-in program for employees of small
  businesses.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 531.024442 to read as follows:
         Sec. 531.024442.  MEDICAID BUY-IN PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES OF
  SMALL BUSINESSES. (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Program participant" means an employee of a small
  business who receives health care services under Medicaid through
  the buy-in program established under this section.
               (2)  "Small business" means a business with an annual
  gross revenue of $850,000 or less.
         (b)  The commission shall operate a Medicaid buy-in program
  under which a person who is an employee of a small business may
  receive health care services under Medicaid.  The executive
  commissioner shall adopt rules for the program that:
               (1)  establish eligibility requirements for
  participation in the program, including household income limits,
  that ensure receipt of federal matching money for providing health
  care services under Medicaid to a program participant;
               (2)  require financial participation by the program
  participant, including a requirement that the program participant
  pay, according to a sliding scale based on household income
  determined in accordance with commission rules, a portion of any
  premiums imposed or cost-sharing payments required under the
  program; and
               (3)  require financial participation by a small
  business that employs a program participant, including a
  requirement that the small business pay a portion of any premiums
  imposed or cost-sharing payments required under the program, in
  amounts determined in accordance with commission rules.
         (c)  The executive commissioner shall ensure that the rules
  adopted under Subsection (b) regarding the financial participation
  required of a small business are not cost prohibitive to
  participation by a small business in the program.
         (d)  The program under this section must be substantively
  identical to the Medicaid buy-in programs for persons with
  disabilities established under Section 531.02444, except to the
  extent that programmatic differences are appropriate because of the
  populations served by the programs.
         (e)  The commission shall prepare and make available to small
  businesses information concerning the availability of and
  application process for the program under this section.  A small
  business may provide that information to its employees and
  prospective employees.
         SECTION 2.  Not later than January 1, 2022, the executive
  commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall
  adopt the rules required by Section 531.024442, Government Code, as
  added by this Act, and the commission shall implement the program
  required by that section.
         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, 2021.