HBA-MPA H.B. 897 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 897
By: Haggerty
Public Health
7/21/1999
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Prior to the 76th Legislature, there was a shortfall between the cost of
ambulance service and what Medicare will pay for this service.  Medicare
paid 80 percent of the cost of service for those who qualified for the
program.  Since many Medicare clients also qualified for medical
assistance, that program could have potentially made up for the shortfall,
thereby removing ambulance operators, who are required by law to respond to
all emergency calls, from the need to absorb this expense or pass it on to
other clients.  

H.B. 897 requires the medical assistance program to pay the Medicare
deductibles and coinsurance on ambulance service.  This bill allows
Medicare recipients to spend less on their Medicare benefits. Ambulance
service providers would receive the same reimbursement rates that they
currently receive.  Medicare recipients would have their deductibles and
coinsurance covered by  the medical assistance program only if the service
provided was an ambulance service. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 32.043, Human Resource Code, as added by Chapter
1153, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, by  requiring
the medical assistance program to pay Medicare deductibles and coinsurance
for ambulance service provided to an individual who is eligible under the
medical assistance program and Medicare. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.
            Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Requires the Health and Human Services Commission (commission),
if it determines before this Act is implemented that a waiver or
authorization from a federal agency is necessary, to request the waiver or
authorization.  Authorizes the commission to delay implementation until
such waiver is granted. 

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.