HBA-ALS H.B. 517 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 517
By: Gray
Public Health
4/15/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, medicaid reimbursement is allowed for telemedical
procedures performed in rural health care facilities.  The purpose of this
bill is to expand the availability of health care, particularly specialty
health care, to citizens throughout the state.  H.B. 517 allows medicaid
reimbursement for telemedical procedures that are performed in any health
facility in the state.   

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 Sections 531.047(a), (b), and (c), Government Code, as
added by Chapter 1251, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997,
by deleting "rural county" and "rural health facility" from the
definitions.  Defines "health facility."  Redesignates Subsection (4) to
Subsection (3).   Makes conforming changes.   

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999. 

SECTION 3.  Requires a state agency to request a waiver or authorization
from a federal agency for implementation of a provision of this Act if the
state agency determines that the waiver or authorization is necessary for
implementation. 

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.