Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB5024 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R14929 SCP-F
2	2	By: Guerra H.B. No. 5024
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to establishing the Medicaid home health efficiency
8	8	technologies pilot program.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
11	11	is amended by adding Section 32.077 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 32.077. MEDICAID HOME HEALTH EFFICIENCY TECHNOLOGIES
13	13	PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section:
14	14	(1) "Efficiency technology" includes:
15	15	(A) location-aware AI-assisted home health
16	16	scheduling software;
17	17	(B) telemedicine medical services software;
18	18	(C) logistics or route-optimization software;
19	19	and
20	20	(D) additional categories of technology that the
21	21	commission determines may significantly improve the efficiency and
22	22	capacity of home health services providers.
23	23	(2) "Home and community support services agency" and
24	24	"home health service" have the meanings assigned by Section
25	25	142.001, Health and Safety Code.
26	26	(3) "Home health provider" means a home and community
27	27	support services agency that provides home health services to
28	28	recipients under Medicaid.
29	29	(4) "Pilot program" means the Medicaid home health
30	30	efficiency technologies pilot program established under this
31	31	section.
32	32	(b) The executive commissioner by rule shall develop and
33	33	implement a pilot program to increase access to and the capacity of
34	34	home health services under Medicaid. Under the program, the
35	35	commission shall incentivize home and community support services
36	36	agencies to adopt efficiency technologies by reimbursing those
37	37	providers for purchases of efficiency technologies.
38	38	(c) The pilot program shall operate for 20 months in the
39	39	following phases:
40	40	(1) an initial planning phase, not to exceed four
41	41	months, for designing the program;
42	42	(2) a 12-month operational phase that begins
43	43	immediately after the conclusion of the planning phase, during
44	44	which the commission shall:
45	45	(A) reimburse home health providers for the
46	46	purchase of efficiency technologies; and
47	47	(B) monitor reimbursements in a manner that
48	48	ensures there is sufficient data to evaluate the program's success;
49	49	and
50	50	(3) a wind-up phase, not to exceed four months, that
51	51	begins immediately after the conclusion of the operational phase,
52	52	during which the commission shall analyze data collected during the
53	53	operational phase and prepare and submit a report to the
54	54	legislature.
55	55	(d) The commission shall provide up to $9,500 as
56	56	reimbursement for the one-time purchase of an efficiency technology
57	57	to the first 250 home health providers who:
58	58	(1) apply during the operational phase described by
59	59	Subsection (c)(2); and
60	60	(2) meet eligibility requirements.
61	61	(e) To be eligible for reimbursement under Subsection (d), a
62	62	home health services provider must:
63	63	(1) be in good standing with the commission; and
64	64	(2) submit an application in the form and manner
65	65	prescribed by the commission that includes:
66	66	(A) proof that the provider purchased an
67	67	efficiency technology after the commencement date of the pilot
68	68	program, including a copy of the paid invoice or receipt showing the
69	69	seller's name and address, the efficiency technology purchased, the
70	70	date of purchase, and the amount paid by the provider; and
71	71	(B) a statement from the provider that the
72	72	provider:
73	73	(i) has not purchased or used the same
74	74	efficiency technology from the same seller within the preceding 12
75	75	months; and
76	76	(ii) agrees to provide any data required by
77	77	the commission that is not accessible through Medicaid claims data.
78	78	(f) The commission may contract with a private entity to
79	79	assist the commission in implementing the pilot program, monitoring
80	80	reimbursements, collecting data during the operational phase, and
81	81	analyzing that data during the wind-up phase to evaluate and
82	82	measure the success of the program.
83	83	(g) The commission shall prepare and submit to the
84	84	legislature at least one report during the operational phase of the
85	85	pilot program that describes the program's progress and includes
86	86	any other information the commission determines appropriate.
87	87	(h) Not later than the 60th day after the date the pilot
88	88	program ceases operation, the commission shall prepare and submit
89	89	to the legislature a report on the program that contains:
90	90	(1) an objective evaluation of the program's effect
91	91	on:
92	92	(A) quality measures and outcomes for Medicaid
93	93	recipients;
94	94	(B) patient capacity, denial rates, and
95	95	timeliness of care after a home health provider receives a request
96	96	or referral for the provision of services by the provider; and
97	97	(C) home health providers' efficiency in
98	98	providing services, including:
99	99	(i) staff utilization and efficiency; and
100	100	(ii) cost of and miles driven for each home
101	101	visit to a Medicaid recipient by the provider;
102	102	(2) a comparison of the effectiveness and relative
103	103	benefit for each category of efficiency technology used during the
104	104	program;
105	105	(3) a cost benefit analysis of the program; and
106	106	(4) recommendations on the feasibility of
107	107	continuation and expansion of the program to all Medicaid
108	108	recipients and home health providers.
109	109	(i) The commission shall make the report prepared under
110	110	Subsection (g) available on the commission's publicly accessible
111	111	Internet website.
112	112	(j) This section expires September 1, 2025.
113	113	SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
114	114	of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
115	115	Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement
116	116	Section 32.077, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act.
117	117	SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act
118	118	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
119	119	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
120	120	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
121	121	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
122	122	waiver or authorization is granted.
123	123	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
124	124	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
125	125	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
126	126	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
127	127	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.