H.B. No. 2466
AN ACT
relating to the content of an application for Medicaid and coverage
for certain services related to maternal depression under the
Medicaid and child health plan programs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 62, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 62.1511 to read as follows:
Sec. 62.1511. COVERAGE FOR MATERNAL DEPRESSION SCREENING.
(a) In this section, "maternal depression" means depression of any
severity with postpartum onset.
(b) The covered services under the child health plan must
include a maternal depression screening for an enrollee's mother,
regardless of whether the mother is also an enrollee, that is
performed during a covered well-child or other office visit for the
enrollee that occurs before the enrollee's first birthday.
(c) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
to implement this section. The rules must be based on:
(1) clinical and empirical evidence concerning
maternal depression; and
(2) information provided by relevant physicians and
behavioral health organizations.
(d) The commission shall seek, accept, and spend any federal
funds that are available for the purposes of this section,
including priority funding authorized by Section 317L-1 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), as added
by the 21st Century Cures Act (Pub. L. No. 114-255).
SECTION 2. (a) Section 32.025, Human Resources Code, is
amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
(g) The application form adopted under this section must
include:
(1) for an applicant who is pregnant, a question
regarding whether the pregnancy is the woman's first gestational
pregnancy; and
(2) a question regarding the applicant's preferences
for being contacted, as follows:
"If you are determined eligible for benefits, your
managed care organization or health plan provider may contact you
by telephone, text message, or e-mail about health care matters,
including reminders for appointments and information about
immunizations or well check visits. All preferred methods of
contact listed on this application will be shared with your managed
care organization or health plan provider. Please indicate below
your preferred methods of contact in order of preference, with the
number 1 being the most preferable method:
(1) By telephone (if contacted by cellular telephone,
the call may be autodialed or prerecorded, and your carrier's usage
rates may apply)? Yes No
Telephone number: _____________
Order of preference: 1 2 3 (circle a number)
(2) By text message (a free autodialed service, but
your carrier may charge message and data rates)? Yes No
Cellular telephone number: ______________
Order of preference: 1 2 3 (circle a number)
(3) By e-mail? Yes No
E-mail address: __________________
Order of preference: 1 2 3 (circle a number)".
(b) Not later than January 1, 2018, the executive
commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall
adopt a revised application form for medical assistance benefits
that conforms to the requirements of Section 32.025(g), Human
Resources Code, as added by this section.
SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
is amended by adding Section 32.0561 to read as follows:
Sec. 32.0561. MATERNAL DEPRESSION SCREENING. (a) In this
section, "maternal depression" means depression of any severity
with postpartum onset.
(b) The commission shall provide medical assistance
reimbursement for a maternal depression screening for a recipient's
mother, regardless of whether the mother is also a recipient, that
is performed during a covered examination for the recipient under
the Texas Health Steps Comprehensive Care Program that occurs
before the recipient's first birthday.
(c) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
to implement this section. The rules must be based on:
(1) clinical and empirical evidence concerning
maternal depression; and
(2) information provided by relevant physicians and
behavioral health organizations.
(d) The commission shall seek, accept, and spend any federal
funds that are available for the purposes of this section,
including priority funding authorized by Section 317L-1 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), as added
by the 21st Century Cures Act (Pub. L. No. 114-255).
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, 2017.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2466 was passed by the House on May 6,
2017, by the following vote: Yeas 135, Nays 7, 2 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 2466 on May 25, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 1,
2 present, not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2466 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 23, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor