| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to providing access to local health departments and |
|
|
certain health service regional offices under Medicaid. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 32.003, Human Resources Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Subdivisions (2) and (3) to read as follows: |
|
|
(2) "Health service regional office" means an office |
|
|
located in a public health region and administered by a regional |
|
|
director under Section 121.007, Health and Safety Code. |
|
|
(3) "Local health department" means a local health |
|
|
department established under Subchapter D, Chapter 121, Health and |
|
|
Safety Code. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 32.024, Human Resources Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Subsection (ll) to read as follows: |
|
|
(ll) The executive commissioner shall establish a separate |
|
|
provider type for local health departments, including health |
|
|
service regional offices acting in the capacity of local health |
|
|
departments, for purposes of enrollment as a provider for and |
|
|
reimbursement under the medical assistance program. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 32.101(2), Human Resources Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(2) "Health care provider" means a person, other than |
|
|
a physician, who: |
|
|
(A) is licensed or otherwise authorized to |
|
|
provide a health care service in this state, including: |
|
|
(i) a pharmacist, dentist, optometrist, |
|
|
mental health counselor, social worker, advanced practice nurse, |
|
|
physician assistant, or durable medical equipment supplier; [or] |
|
|
(ii) a pharmacy, hospital, or other |
|
|
institution or organization; or |
|
|
(iii) a local health department or a health |
|
|
service regional office acting in the capacity of a local health |
|
|
department in a public health region; |
|
|
(B) is wholly owned or controlled by: |
|
|
(i) a health care provider or a group of |
|
|
health care providers described by Paragraph (A); or |
|
|
(ii) one or more hospitals and physicians, |
|
|
including a physician-hospital organization; |
|
|
(C) is a professional association of physicians |
|
|
organized under the Texas Professional Association Law, as |
|
|
described by Section 1.008, Business Organizations Code; |
|
|
(D) is an approved nonprofit health corporation |
|
|
certified under Chapter 162, Occupations Code; |
|
|
(E) is a medical and dental unit, as defined by |
|
|
Section 61.003, Education Code, a medical school, as defined by |
|
|
Section 61.501, Education Code, or a health science center |
|
|
described by Subchapter K, Chapter 74, Education Code, that employs |
|
|
or contracts with physicians to teach or provide medical services, |
|
|
or employs physicians and contracts with physicians in a practice |
|
|
plan; or |
|
|
(F) is another person wholly owned by physicians. |
|
|
SECTION 4. 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 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2022. |