| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | |
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| 6 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 7 | | relating to providing notification to certain pregnant women |
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| 9 | 8 | | regarding their eligibility for coverage under Medicaid and the |
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| 10 | 9 | | Healthy Texas Women program. |
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| 11 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
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| 13 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 531.0995 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 13 | | Sec. 531.0995. NOTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL AUTOMATIC |
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| 15 | 14 | | ENROLLMENT IN THE HEALTHY TEXAS WOMEN PROGRAM. (a) In this |
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| 16 | 15 | | section, "Healthy Texas Women program" means a program operated by |
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| 17 | 16 | | the commission that is substantially similar to the demonstration |
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| 18 | 17 | | project operated under former Section 32.0248, Human Resources |
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| 19 | 18 | | Code, and that is intended to expand access to preventive health and |
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| 20 | 19 | | family planning services for women in this state. |
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| 21 | 20 | | (b) Subject to Subsection (c), the executive commissioner |
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| 22 | 21 | | shall adopt rules requiring the commission to provide to a woman who |
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| 23 | 22 | | is a recipient of Medicaid during her pregnancy written notice |
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| 24 | 23 | | that: |
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| 25 | 24 | | (1) the woman has continuous coverage under Medicaid |
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| 26 | 25 | | through the second month after the pregnancy ends; |
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| 27 | 26 | | (2) if appropriate, the woman's eligibility for |
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| 28 | 27 | | enrollment in the Healthy Texas Women program will be determined |
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| 29 | 28 | | approximately 30 days after the date the woman's pregnancy ends; |
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| 30 | 29 | | and |
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| 31 | 30 | | (3) if the woman is determined eligible for the |
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| 32 | 31 | | Healthy Texas Women program: |
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| 33 | 32 | | (A) she will be automatically enrolled in the |
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| 34 | 33 | | program; and |
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| 35 | 34 | | (B) her coverage under the program begins on the |
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| 36 | 35 | | first day following the date her Medicaid coverage ends. |
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| 37 | 36 | | (c) The executive commissioner shall consult with the |
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| 38 | 37 | | Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force established under |
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| 39 | 38 | | Chapter 34, Health and Safety Code, to determine when and the manner |
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| 40 | 39 | | by which the notice required under Subsection (b) should be |
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| 41 | 40 | | provided to women. If feasible, the commission shall provide the |
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| 42 | 41 | | notice to a woman before the third trimester of her pregnancy. This |
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| 43 | 42 | | subsection expires January 1, 2020. |
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| 44 | 43 | | SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2020, the executive |
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| 45 | 44 | | commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall |
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| 46 | 45 | | adopt rules required by Section 531.0995, Government Code, as added |
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| 47 | 46 | | by this Act. |
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| 48 | 47 | | SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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| 49 | 48 | | a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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| 50 | 49 | | federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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| 51 | 50 | | the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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| 52 | 51 | | authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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| 53 | 52 | | waiver or authorization is granted. |
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| 54 | 53 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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