84R12033 EES-D
By: Watson S.B. No. 1471
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the use of home telemonitoring services under the
Medicaid program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 531.02164, Government Code, is amended
by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
follows:
(c) The program required under this section must:
(1) provide that home telemonitoring services are
available only to a person [persons] who:
(A) is [are] diagnosed with a condition for which
the commission makes an evidence-based determination that
monitoring through the use of home telemonitoring services is
cost-effective and feasible [one or more of the following
conditions:
[(i) pregnancy;
[(ii) diabetes;
[(iii) heart disease;
[(iv) cancer;
[(v) chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease;
[(vi) hypertension;
[(vii) congestive heart failure;
[(viii) mental illness or serious emotional
disturbance;
[(ix) asthma;
[(x) myocardial infarction; or
[(xi) stroke]; and
(B) exhibits [exhibit] two or more of the
following risk factors:
(i) two or more hospitalizations in the
prior 12-month period;
(ii) frequent or recurrent emergency room
admissions;
(iii) a documented history of poor
adherence to ordered medication regimens;
(iv) a documented history of falls in the
prior six-month period;
(v) limited or absent informal support
systems;
(vi) living alone or being home alone for
extended periods of time; and
(vii) a documented history of care access
challenges;
(2) ensure that clinical information gathered by a
home health agency or hospital while providing home telemonitoring
services is shared with the patient's physician; and
(3) ensure that the program does not duplicate disease
management program services provided under Section 32.057, Human
Resources Code.
(f) The commission may conduct pilot projects to collect
evidence regarding the effectiveness of using home telemonitoring
services to monitor certain conditions.
SECTION 2. Section 531.02176, Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
Sec. 531.02176. EXPIRATION OF MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT FOR
PROVISION OF HOME TELEMONITORING SERVICES. Notwithstanding any
other law, the commission may not reimburse providers under the
Medicaid program for the provision of home telemonitoring services
on or after September 1, 2021 [2015].
SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission shall adopt necessary rules to implement the
changes in law made by this Act.
SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act
a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
waiver or authorization is granted.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.