HBA-DMH C.S.H.B. 479 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 479
By: Naishtat
Human Services
3/16/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, nursing home residents are asked at least once a year if
the resident desires a dental examination and treatment at the resident's
own expense.  If a resident is unable to afford dental care through this
process, the only Medicaid dental services available are long-term care
emergency dental services.  The Senate Committee on Human Services reported
that since little attempt is made to deal with dental problems until
residents are in pain or unable to eat, the care eventually received is
often more expensive than preventative care.  C.S.H.B. 479 requires,
subject to the availability of funds, that all Medicaid nursing home
residents receive yearly dental services. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Health and Human Services
Commission in SECTION 2 of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 479 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Health and
Human Services Commission (HHSC), subject to the availability of funds, to
provide dental services annually to a resident of a nursing facility who is
a medical assistance recipient.  The dental services must include a dental
examination by a licensed dentist; a prophylaxis by a licensed dentist or
licensed dental hygienist, if practical considering the health of the
resident; and diagnostic dental x-rays, if possible. 

The bill requires HHSC, by rule, to develop a fee schedule for such dental
services in cooperation with Texas Department of Health and the Texas
Department of Human Services.  The bill requires HHSC to conduct a study
regarding the need for and cost of expanding such dental services and
requires the commissioner of health and human services to report the
results of the study to specified entities no later than December 1, 2002. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 479 modifies the original by providing that the requirement that
HHSC provide dental services is subject to the availability of funds.