HBA-MPA H.B. 897 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 897 By: Haggerty Public Health 3/8/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, there is a shortfall between the cost of ambulance service and what Medicare will pay for this service. Medicare pays 80 percent of the cost of service for those who qualify for the program. Since many Medicare clients also qualify for medical assistance, this program could potentially make 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 difference between the maximum allowable charge paid by Medicare and the prevailing rate for ambulance service within the community. 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 adding Subsection (c), as follows: (c) Requires the medical assistance program, for ambulance service provided to an individual who is eligible under the medical assistance program and Medicare, to pay the difference between the customary rate for the service provided that prevails in the community and the maximum allowable Medicare charge. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Requires the Health and Human Services 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 and authorizes the delay of implementation until such waiver is granted. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.