Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1748 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R5527 KKR-D
2	2	By: Miles S.B. No. 1748
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a pilot program for providing services to certain
8	8	children under the Medicaid medical transportation program.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 531.024141 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 531.024141. PILOT PROGRAM FOR PROVIDING MEDICAL
13	13	TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM SERVICES TO CHILDREN ACCOMPANYING PREGNANT
14	14	MOTHERS. (a) The commission shall develop and implement a pilot
15	15	program to enable an eligible child described by Subsection (b) to
16	16	receive medical transportation program services and to provide
17	17	reimbursement for those services in order to:
18	18	(1) increase access to prenatal and postpartum care;
19	19	(2) reduce pregnancy-related complications;
20	20	(3) improve health outcomes for pregnant women and
21	21	infants; and
22	22	(4) reduce the maternal mortality and morbidity rate.
23	23	(b) A child is eligible for inclusion in the pilot program
24	24	established under this section:
25	25	(1) if the child's mother is:
26	26	(A) a recipient of Medicaid during a pregnancy;
27	27	and
28	28	(B) using medical transportation program
29	29	services to travel to and from a covered health care service related
30	30	to the pregnancy, including postpartum care; and
31	31	(2) regardless of whether the child is also a
32	32	recipient of Medicaid.
33	33	(c) The pilot program shall be implemented in more than one
34	34	health care service region.
35	35	(d) The commission, with the assistance of the Maternal
36	36	Mortality and Morbidity Task Force established under Chapter 34,
37	37	Health and Safety Code, shall evaluate the results of the pilot
38	38	program and determine whether the program is effective in
39	39	increasing access to prenatal and postpartum care, reducing
40	40	pregnancy-related complications, improving health outcomes for
41	41	pregnant women and their newborn children, and reducing the
42	42	maternal mortality and morbidity rate. The evaluation must be
43	43	based on:
44	44	(1) the health outcomes of the pregnant women whose
45	45	children participated in the pilot program and of the women's
46	46	newborn children; or
47	47	(2) an assessment of the overall health and pregnancy
48	48	outcomes and trends in this state during the period of the program.
49	49	(e) Not later than September 1, 2021, the commission shall
50	50	report to the legislature on the results of the pilot program. The
51	51	report must include:
52	52	(1) a summary of the commission's evaluation under
53	53	Subsection (d); and
54	54	(2) the impact on costs under the medical
55	55	transportation program.
56	56	(f) The executive commissioner may adopt rules to implement
57	57	this section.
58	58	(g) This section expires September 1, 2021.
59	59	SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act
60	60	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
61	61	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
62	62	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
63	63	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
64	64	waiver or authorization is granted.
65	65	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.