HBA-NRS H.B. 827 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 827
By: Gray
Public Health
3/5/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, almost 600,000 low-income Texas children are eligible for health
insurance under Medicaid, but remain unenrolled. The Texas Medicaid program
creates many barriers for families seeking to obtain health coverage for
their children, including requiring families to come in for a face-to-face
interview and requiring the completion of multiple forms and verifications.
The state child health plan (CHIP) provides insurance coverage to children
in families who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but who cannot
afford other private insurance options. The CHIP application and enrollment
process has none of the barriers of the Medicaid program. House Bill 827
permits a request for Medicaid assistance to be made by mail instead of a
face-to-face interview to make the Medicaid application and enrollment
process similar to the CHIP application and enrollment process. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill
expressly delegates rulemaking authority to the Health and Human Services
Commission in SECTION 2 (Section 32.026, Human Resources Code) of this
bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 827 amends the Human Resources Code relating to the application
to and eligibility for Medicaid for a person younger than 19 years of age
(child). The bill requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
to adopt application forms and procedures for a request for medical
assistance provided to a child that are similar to the application forms
and procedures adopted under the state child health plan (CHIP), to the
extent allowed by federal law. The bill requires HHSC to permit an
application requesting medical assistance for a child to be made by mail
instead of through a personal appearance at an HHSC office. In adopting
rules, the bill requires HHSC to ensure that documentation and verification
procedures used in determining and certifying a child's eligibility and
need for medical assistance are similar to the documentation and
verification procedures used to determine a child's eligibility for CHIP.
The bill requires HHSC to permit a recertification review of the
eligibility and need for medical assistance of a child to be conducted by
telephone or mail instead of through a personal appearance at an HHSC
office. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.