Texas 2009 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB531 Senate Committee Report / Fiscal Note

Filed 02/01/2025

Download
.pdf .doc .html
                    LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD    Austin, Texas      FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION            March 16, 2009      TO: Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services      FROM: John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board     IN RE:SB531 by Patrick, Dan (Relating to the billing coordination system for claims submitted for payment from the Medicaid program.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted    No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.  The bill would amend Section 531.02413, Government Code, to require the Health and HumanServices Commission (HHSC) to expand the Medicaid Billing Coordination System (BCS), if costeffective and feasible, and to process claims for all other health care services provided through theMedicaid program in the manner claims for acute care services are currently processed by the system.  However, this would not apply if claims were being processed by an alternative billing coordination system prior to September 1, 2009. HHSC assumes that the language referring to processing claims would exclude services providedunder managed care, since managed care payments to providers are not processed through the Texas Medical Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) acute care claims system. A Medicaid BCS is already in place for other types of service delivery, including fee-for-service, primary care case management, and pharmacy claims. Therefore, HHSC assumes no significant fiscal impact.The Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) states that the agency is currently using an alternative BCS for the Home and Community-based Services program and the Texas Home Living Waiver program.  Other long-term care Medicaid programs are currently processed by TMHP, but based on additional information obtained by DADS, TMHP would require significant system changes in order to change to a cost avoidance BCS.  These costs would be approximately $2.5 million in FY 2010, $1.4 million in FY 2011 and $1.1 million in FY 2012-13.   Also, DADS estimates an increase in the operating costs of using a cost avoidance BCS, without a significant increase in third party recoveries.  This is because most Medicaid recipients are not able to purchase Medicare supplemental insurance or long-term care insurance and thus do not have a third party that DADS could bill.  Since the costs are projected to outweigh the potential recoveries, these actions are deemed by DADS to not be cost-effective.  Therefore, DADS would not implement the provisions of the bill and estimates no significant fiscal impact. Local Government Impact No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.    Source Agencies:529 Health and Human Services Commission, 539 Aging and Disability Services, Department of   LBB Staff:  JOB, CL, PP, MB    

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
March 16, 2009





  TO: Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services      FROM: John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board     IN RE:SB531 by Patrick, Dan (Relating to the billing coordination system for claims submitted for payment from the Medicaid program.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted  

TO: Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
FROM: John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB531 by Patrick, Dan (Relating to the billing coordination system for claims submitted for payment from the Medicaid program.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

 Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services 

 Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services 

 John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board

 John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board

SB531 by Patrick, Dan (Relating to the billing coordination system for claims submitted for payment from the Medicaid program.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

SB531 by Patrick, Dan (Relating to the billing coordination system for claims submitted for payment from the Medicaid program.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted



No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.



The bill would amend Section 531.02413, Government Code, to require the Health and HumanServices Commission (HHSC) to expand the Medicaid Billing Coordination System (BCS), if costeffective and feasible, and to process claims for all other health care services provided through theMedicaid program in the manner claims for acute care services are currently processed by the system.  However, this would not apply if claims were being processed by an alternative billing coordination system prior to September 1, 2009. HHSC assumes that the language referring to processing claims would exclude services providedunder managed care, since managed care payments to providers are not processed through the Texas Medical Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) acute care claims system. A Medicaid BCS is already in place for other types of service delivery, including fee-for-service, primary care case management, and pharmacy claims. Therefore, HHSC assumes no significant fiscal impact.The Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) states that the agency is currently using an alternative BCS for the Home and Community-based Services program and the Texas Home Living Waiver program.  Other long-term care Medicaid programs are currently processed by TMHP, but based on additional information obtained by DADS, TMHP would require significant system changes in order to change to a cost avoidance BCS.  These costs would be approximately $2.5 million in FY 2010, $1.4 million in FY 2011 and $1.1 million in FY 2012-13.   Also, DADS estimates an increase in the operating costs of using a cost avoidance BCS, without a significant increase in third party recoveries.  This is because most Medicaid recipients are not able to purchase Medicare supplemental insurance or long-term care insurance and thus do not have a third party that DADS could bill.  Since the costs are projected to outweigh the potential recoveries, these actions are deemed by DADS to not be cost-effective.  Therefore, DADS would not implement the provisions of the bill and estimates no significant fiscal impact.

The bill would amend Section 531.02413, Government Code, to require the Health and HumanServices Commission (HHSC) to expand the Medicaid Billing Coordination System (BCS), if costeffective and feasible, and to process claims for all other health care services provided through theMedicaid program in the manner claims for acute care services are currently processed by the system.  However, this would not apply if claims were being processed by an alternative billing coordination system prior to September 1, 2009.

HHSC assumes that the language referring to processing claims would exclude services providedunder managed care, since managed care payments to providers are not processed through the Texas Medical Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) acute care claims system. A Medicaid BCS is already in place for other types of service delivery, including fee-for-service, primary care case management, and pharmacy claims. Therefore, HHSC assumes no significant fiscal impact.The Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) states that the agency is currently using an alternative BCS for the Home and Community-based Services program and the Texas Home Living Waiver program.  Other long-term care Medicaid programs are currently processed by TMHP, but based on additional information obtained by DADS, TMHP would require significant system changes in order to change to a cost avoidance BCS.  These costs would be approximately $2.5 million in FY 2010, $1.4 million in FY 2011 and $1.1 million in FY 2012-13.  

Also, DADS estimates an increase in the operating costs of using a cost avoidance BCS, without a significant increase in third party recoveries.  This is because most Medicaid recipients are not able to purchase Medicare supplemental insurance or long-term care insurance and thus do not have a third party that DADS could bill.  Since the costs are projected to outweigh the potential recoveries, these actions are deemed by DADS to not be cost-effective.  Therefore, DADS would not implement the provisions of the bill and estimates no significant fiscal impact.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies: 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 539 Aging and Disability Services, Department of

529 Health and Human Services Commission, 539 Aging and Disability Services, Department of

LBB Staff: JOB, CL, PP, MB

 JOB, CL, PP, MB