81R7515 ALB-F
By: Gonzales H.B. No. 2205
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a county's eligibility to receive state assistance for
health care expenditures that exceed eight percent of the county's
general revenue levy for the year.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 61.037, Health and Safety Code, is
amended by adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
(b-1) A county may include as part of the county's eight
percent expenditure level calculated under Subsection (b)(1) any
payment made by the county for health care services provided
through Medicaid, including the county's direct reimbursement to
health care providers and indirect reimbursement through transfers
of funds to the state for health care services provided through
Medicaid.
SECTION 2. Section 61.038, Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 61.038. DISTRIBUTION OF ASSISTANCE FUNDS. (a) If the
department determines that a county is eligible for assistance, the
department shall distribute funds appropriated to the department
from the indigent health care assistance fund or any other
available fund to the county to assist the county in providing:
(1) health care services under Sections 61.028 and
61.0285 to its eligible county residents who qualify for assistance
as described by Section 61.037; or
(2) health care services provided through Medicaid as
described by Section 61.037(b-1).
(b) State funds provided under this section to a county must
be equal to at least 90 percent of the actual payment for the health
care services for the county's eligible residents, including any
payments made by the county for health care services provided
through Medicaid as described by Section 61.037(b-1), during the
remainder of the state fiscal year after the eight percent
expenditure level is reached.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.