BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 113

By: Ortega

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

State and local and health leaders have emphasized the important role community health workers play in improving health care access and outcomes for Texans, specifically in the area of maternal health. Health plans that participate in the state's Medicaid managed care program indicate they would like to utilize community health workers more, but they need additional funding or flexibility from the state to do so. Costs associated with community health workers are currently considered an administrative expense and are capped at a certain amount. H.B. 113 seeks to address this funding barrier to hiring additional community health workers by allowing managed care organizations that contract with the state through the STAR Medicaid managed care program to report expenses incurred through the provision of community health worker services as a quality improvement cost rather than an administrative expense.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 113 amends the Government Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission to allow each Medicaid managed care organization providing health care services under the STAR Medicaid managed care program to categorize services provided by a community health worker as a quality improvement cost, as authorized by federal law, instead of as an administrative expense. The bill provides for the delayed implementation of any provision for which an applicable state agency determines a federal waiver or authorization is necessary for implementation until the waiver or authorization is requested and granted.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2023.