85R13333 KKR-D
By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 3146
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a pilot program for providing services to certain
children under the Medicaid medical transportation program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 531.024141 to read as follows:
Sec. 531.024141. PILOT PROJECT FOR PROVIDING MEDICAL
TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM SERVICES FOR CHILDREN ACCOMPANYING PREGNANT
MOTHERS. (a) The commission shall develop and implement a pilot
program to enable an eligible child described by Subsection (b) to
receive medical transportation program services and to provide
reimbursement for those services in order to:
(1) increase access to prenatal and postpartum care;
(2) reduce pregnancy-related complications;
(3) improve health outcomes for pregnant women and
infants; and
(4) reduce the maternal mortality and morbidity rate.
(b) A child is eligible for inclusion in the pilot program
established under this section:
(1) if the child's mother is:
(A) a recipient of Medicaid during a pregnancy;
and
(B) is using medical transportation program
services to travel to and from a covered health care service related
to the pregnancy, including postpartum care; and
(2) regardless of whether the child is also a
recipient of Medicaid.
(c) The pilot program shall be implemented in more than one
health care service region.
(d) The commission, with the assistance of the maternal
mortality and morbidity task force established under Chapter 34,
Health and Safety Code, shall evaluate the results of the pilot
program and determine whether the program is effective in
increasing access to prenatal and postpartum care, reducing
pregnancy-related complications, improving health outcomes for
pregnant women and their newborn children, and reducing the
maternal mortality and morbidity rate. The evaluation must be
based on:
(1) the health outcomes of the pregnant women whose
children participated in the program and of the women's newborn
children; or
(2) an assessment of the overall health care and
pregnancy outcomes and trends in this state during the period of the
program.
(e) Not later than September 1, 2019, the commission shall
report to the legislature on the results of the pilot program. The
report must include:
(1) a summary of the commission's evaluation under
Subsection (d); and
(2) the impact on costs under the medical
transportation program.
(f) The executive commissioner may adopt rules to implement
this section.
(g) This section expires September 1, 2019.
SECTION 2. 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 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.