LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION April 4, 2011 TO: Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services FROM: John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE:SB293 by Watson (Relating to telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, and home telemonitoring services provided to certain Medicaid recipients.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The bill would require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to reimburse Medicaid providers for telehealth and home telemonitoring services for certain clients and to report on Medicaid telehealth and home telemonitoring services biannually.Section 2 would require HHSC to develop and implement a system to reimburse providers for performing telehealth services in addition to the telemedicine services which are already reimbursed. The development of the system would include reviewing programs from other states and establishing modifiers for telehealth and home telemonitoring services eligible for reimbursement. HHSC would be required to add information on telehealth and home telemonitoring to an existing telemedicine report due December 1st of even-numbered years.Section 3 would require HHSC to permit reimbursement statewide for home telemonitoring services provided by home health agencies in the Medicaid program, given certain eligibility conditions. Section 4 would expand the scope of services and diseases that are considered in developing a telemedicine and telehealth pilot program to include: monitoring of chronic diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, and congestive heart failure. HHSC reports it would need to obtain a waiver to implement the provisions of the bill. HHSC indicates that costs associated with the bill could be absorbed by existing resources or offset by reductions in the number of home health visits and reduced hospitalization costs. 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, JI, JQ
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
April 4, 2011
TO: Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services FROM: John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE:SB293 by Watson (Relating to telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, and home telemonitoring services provided to certain Medicaid recipients.), 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: SB293 by Watson (Relating to telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, and home telemonitoring services provided to certain Medicaid recipients.), 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
SB293 by Watson (Relating to telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, and home telemonitoring services provided to certain Medicaid recipients.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
SB293 by Watson (Relating to telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, and home telemonitoring services provided to certain Medicaid recipients.), 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 require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to reimburse Medicaid providers for telehealth and home telemonitoring services for certain clients and to report on Medicaid telehealth and home telemonitoring services biannually.Section 2 would require HHSC to develop and implement a system to reimburse providers for performing telehealth services in addition to the telemedicine services which are already reimbursed. The development of the system would include reviewing programs from other states and establishing modifiers for telehealth and home telemonitoring services eligible for reimbursement. HHSC would be required to add information on telehealth and home telemonitoring to an existing telemedicine report due December 1st of even-numbered years.Section 3 would require HHSC to permit reimbursement statewide for home telemonitoring services provided by home health agencies in the Medicaid program, given certain eligibility conditions. Section 4 would expand the scope of services and diseases that are considered in developing a telemedicine and telehealth pilot program to include: monitoring of chronic diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, and congestive heart failure. HHSC reports it would need to obtain a waiver to implement the provisions of the bill. HHSC indicates that costs associated with the bill could be absorbed by existing resources or offset by reductions in the number of home health visits and reduced hospitalization costs.
The bill would require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to reimburse Medicaid providers for telehealth and home telemonitoring services for certain clients and to report on Medicaid telehealth and home telemonitoring services biannually.Section 2 would require HHSC to develop and implement a system to reimburse providers for performing telehealth services in addition to the telemedicine services which are already reimbursed. The development of the system would include reviewing programs from other states and establishing modifiers for telehealth and home telemonitoring services eligible for reimbursement. HHSC would be required to add information on telehealth and home telemonitoring to an existing telemedicine report due December 1st of even-numbered years.Section 3 would require HHSC to permit reimbursement statewide for home telemonitoring services provided by home health agencies in the Medicaid program, given certain eligibility conditions. Section 4 would expand the scope of services and diseases that are considered in developing a telemedicine and telehealth pilot program to include: monitoring of chronic diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, and congestive heart failure. HHSC reports it would need to obtain a waiver to implement the provisions of the bill. HHSC indicates that costs associated with the bill could be absorbed by existing resources or offset by reductions in the number of home health visits and reduced hospitalization costs.
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, JI, JQ
JOB, CL, JI, JQ