BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2060

By: Campos

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 has for decades guaranteed automatic Medicaid enrollment of babies born to Medicaid-enrolled mothers, beginning at birth and continuing uninterrupted through the first year of life. The bill author has informed the committee that, nevertheless, many newborn babies are still missing out on this coverage. In a report published in January 2021, Johnson Group Consulting, Inc., found that, despite this federal law protection, more than 500,000 infants nationwide, including in Texas, are not counted as continuously eligible during their first year of life. H.B. 2060 seeks to address this issue by requiring the Health and Human Services Commission to conduct a study to assess compliance with federal guidelines and requirements on the mandated coverage of certain infants under Medicaid.

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. 2060 requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to conduct a study to assess HHSC's compliance with federal guidelines and requirements on the required coverage of certain infants under Medicaid and, in conducting the study, to examine whether or the extent to which HHSC does the following:

· provides Medicaid coverage to infants born in Texas whose mother was a Medicaid recipient at the time of the birth;

· requires the submission of a separate application or eligibility determination for such infants;

· requires by rule or otherwise that such an infant reside with the infant's mother to remain eligible for Medicaid;

· allows an infant to receive Medicaid coverage by using the Medicaid identification number of the infant's mother from the period between the infant's birth until the infant reaches one year of age or, if the mother does not have a Medicaid identification number, provides a separate Medicaid identification number to the infant;

· requires proof of citizenship for an infant to receive Medicaid coverage before the infant reaches one year of age;

· ensures that an infant remains eligible from the period between the infant's birth until the infant reaches at least one year of age, unless the infant dies, is moved outside of Texas, or is voluntarily disenrolled from Medicaid; and

· conducts an eligibility redetermination for infants before they reach one year of age.

H.B. 2060 requires HHSC, not later than September 1, 2026, to prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the legislature a written report that summarizes the results of the study and includes any legislative recommendations based on the study's results on how to improve coverage rates and related requirements for Medicaid-eligible infants. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2027.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.