81R13846 JSC-D
By: Coleman H.B. No. 3474
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to indigent health care.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The legislature recognizes that this state has a
responsibility to ensure that indigent residents who do not have
health insurance, cannot afford to pay for health care, and do not
qualify for medical assistance through the state or federal
government have access to the basic services necessary to maintain
good health.
SECTION 2. (a) The executive commissioner of the Health and
Human Services Commission shall adopt rules relating to improving
the indigent health care services provided throughout this state,
including rules relating to:
(1) contracts with health care entities for provision
of indigent health care services;
(2) requiring health care facilities, including
public and private hospitals, to implement an indigent health care
program in accordance with standards developed by the executive
commissioner;
(3) expanding eligibility for indigent health care
services by various methods, including raising the income level for
eligibility;
(4) maximizing available state and federal funding to
be used for provision of indigent health care, including federal
stimulus money and money for health care information technology;
(5) utilizing available private funding for provision
of indigent health care;
(6) increasing spending on indigent health care by
matching county funds with state funds;
(7) expanding the range of services offered to
indigent patients through an indigent health care program,
including dental services, physical therapy, and occupational
therapy;
(8) increasing access to preventative treatment,
including dental treatment, vaccinations, regular physical
examinations, and routine screenings for health conditions, to
lower the cost of emergency treatment;
(9) developing incentives for providers of indigent
health care to provide a wider variety of optional services;
(10) regulations for federally qualified health
centers to assist those entities in providing indigent health care
as efficiently as possible;
(11) outcome-based performance standards for indigent
health care designed to improve the quality of care and lower the
cost of care;
(12) educational programs to assist a recipient of
indigent health care to enroll in any health-related program
administered by this state or the federal government for which the
person is eligible;
(13) improving the communication between providers,
health care facilities, and the Department of State Health Services
to enable an appropriate response to issues as they arise;
(14) utilizing existing resources to their greatest
potential, including the county indigent health care program of the
Department of State Health Services;
(15) requiring the evaluation of state indigent health
care services and recommendations for improvement by state
agencies, educational institutions, or independent research
entities;
(16) identifying best practices for provision of care;
and
(17) establishing long-term goals for the provision of
indigent health care services.
(b) Notwithstanding Chapter 61, Health and Safety Code, or
any other law regarding the provision of health care services to
persons who are uninsured or otherwise unable to afford to pay for
health care services, the Department of State Health Services shall
implement the rules adopted under Subsection (a).
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.