HBA-MSH, CCH H.B. 1156 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1156
By: Coleman
Public Health
2/27/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Texas Department of Health (TDH) estimates that 164,000 women per year
receive Medicaid-funded women's health services, which include physical
examinations, laboratory testing, counseling on contraception, and breast
and cervical cancer screening.  To be eligible for these services, a woman
must be less than 60 days postpartum and have a family income below 185
percent of the federal poverty level, or either be receiving financial
assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or be
enrolled in a transitional Medicaid welfare-to-work program.  TDH also
approximates that an additional 300,000 women receive women's heath
services funded by the family planning services project grant, the social
services block grant, and the maternal and child health block grant.  TDH
estimates that an additional one million uninsured working women with
family incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level do not
have regular access to women's health services.  Expanding Medicaid
coverage for women's health services to all women between the ages of 13
and 44 years old with family incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal
poverty level will allow an additional 600,000 women access to these
services, according to TDH projections.  TDH expects to realize cost
savings through this expansion by averting Medicaid- funded pregnancies.
House Bill 1156 sets the income eligibility cap for medical assistance for
women's preventive health and family planning services at 185 percent of
the federal poverty level. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1156 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Health and
Human Services Commission (HHSC) to set the income eligibility cap for
medical assistance at 185 percent of the federal poverty level for women's
preventive health and family planning services.  The bill also requires
HHSC to compile a list of potential funding sources a client can use to
help pay for treatment for health problems identified using preventive
health services provided under the medical assistance program for which the
client is not eligible to receive treatment under the program.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.