Bill Text: TX HB3317 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to programs established and operated by federally qualified health centers to provide primary care access to certain employees.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-04 - Laid on the table subject to call [HB3317 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB3317-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to programs established and operated by federally qualified health centers to provide primary care access to certain employees.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-04 - Laid on the table subject to call [HB3317 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB3317-Introduced.html
By: Frank | H.B. No. 3317 |
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relating to the operation and financing of the federally qualified | ||
health center primary care access program to provide primary care | ||
access to persons in this state. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
amended by adding Chapter 76 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 76 FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER PRIMARY CARE ACCESS | ||
PROGRAM | ||
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS | ||
Sec. 76.001. PURPOSE. The purpose of this chapter is to: | ||
(1) increase access to primary care services for | ||
low-income or at-risk Texans at federally qualified health centers; | ||
(2) improve the health of employees of participating | ||
employers and their dependents by improving the employees' and | ||
their dependents' access to health care; | ||
(3) contribute to economic development by helping | ||
small businesses remain competitive with a healthy workforce and | ||
health care benefits that will attract employees; and | ||
(4) encourage innovative solutions for providing and | ||
funding health care services and benefits. | ||
Sec. 76.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Employee" means an individual employed by an | ||
employer. The term includes a partner of a partnership and the | ||
proprietor of a sole proprietorship. | ||
(2) "Federally qualified health center" means an | ||
entity as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 1396d(l)(2)(B). | ||
(3) "Federally qualified health center primary care | ||
access program" means a program established by a federally | ||
qualified health center offering primary care services for the | ||
benefit of the employees of participating employers and their | ||
dependents under Subchapter B. | ||
(4) "Participating employer" means an employer who | ||
meets the qualifications of the program and has agreed to | ||
participate in a federally qualified health center primary care | ||
access program. | ||
SUBCHAPTER B. FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER PRIMARY CARE | ||
ACCESS PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 76.051. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. A federally | ||
qualified health center may establish or participate in a federally | ||
qualified health center primary care access program under this | ||
subchapter. | ||
Sec. 76.052. GOVERNANCE OF PROGRAM. A federally qualified | ||
health center primary care access program shall be operated subject | ||
to the direction of the governing board of the participating | ||
federally qualified health center. | ||
Sec. 76.053. OPERATION OF PROGRAM. (a) A federally | ||
qualified health center primary care access program provides | ||
primary health care services to: | ||
(1) the employees of participating employers who | ||
reside in or whose employer is located within the service area of a | ||
participating federally qualified health center. A federally | ||
qualified health center primary care access program may also | ||
provide services or benefits to the dependents of those employees. | ||
(2) other uninsured or underinsured groups as | ||
determined by the federally qualified health center. | ||
Sec. 76.054. PARTICIPATION BY EMPLOYERS; SHARE OF COST. | ||
(a) A federally qualified health center may establish criteria for | ||
participation in a federally qualified health center primary care | ||
access program by employers, the employees of the participating | ||
employers, and their dependents. The criteria may require that | ||
participating employers and employees who receive care through a | ||
federally qualified health center primary care access program pay a | ||
share of the premium or other cost of the program. | ||
(b) The federally qualified health center will ensure | ||
employees and their dependents are screened for eligibility for | ||
other state programs and federal subsidies in the Health Insurance | ||
Marketplace and assist in enrolling employees in programs that | ||
offer health insurance coverage. | ||
(c) The federally qualified health center may utilize a | ||
health foundation, non-profit, or other funding to support the | ||
employer and/or patient share of the program. | ||
Sec. 76.055. ADDITIONAL FUNDING. (a) A federally | ||
qualified health center may accept and use state money made | ||
available through an appropriation from the general revenue fund or | ||
a gift, grant, or donation from any source to operate the federally | ||
qualified health center primary care access program and to provide | ||
services or benefits under the program. | ||
(b) A federally qualified health center shall actively | ||
solicit gifts, grants, and donations to: | ||
(1) fund services and benefits provided under the | ||
federally qualified health center primary care access program; and | ||
(2) reduce the cost of participation in the program | ||
for participating employers and their employees. | ||
SUBCHAPTER C. HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND BENEFITS | ||
Sec. 76.101. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES. (a) Federally qualified | ||
health center primary care access programs must be developed, to | ||
the extent practicable, to: | ||
(1) reduce the number of individuals without primary | ||
care access who reside in or whose employer is located within the | ||
service area of the federally qualified health center; | ||
(2) address rising health care costs and reduce the | ||
cost of health care services for small employers and their | ||
employees who reside in or whose employer is located within the | ||
service area of the federally qualified health center; | ||
(3) promote preventive care and reduce the incidence | ||
of preventable health conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, | ||
and diabetes and low birth weight in infants; | ||
(4) promote efficient and collaborative delivery of | ||
health care services; | ||
(5) serve as a model for the innovative use of health | ||
information technology to promote efficient delivery of health care | ||
services, reduce health care costs, and improve the health of the | ||
community; and | ||
(6) provide fair payment rates for health care | ||
providers. | ||
Sec. 76.102. HEALTH CARE SERVICES. (a) A federally | ||
qualified health center primary care access program shall provide | ||
primary health care services directly to the employees of | ||
participating employers and the dependents of those employees. | ||
(b) A federally qualified health center may require that | ||
participating employees and dependents obtain primary health care | ||
services provided under a federally qualified health center primary | ||
care access program only from health care providers at the | ||
federally qualified health center. | ||
(c) A federally qualified health center that operates a | ||
federally qualified health center primary care access program under | ||
this section is not an insurer or health maintenance organization | ||
and the program is not subject to regulation by the Texas Department | ||
of Insurance. | ||
SUBCHAPTER E. GRANTS FOR DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS | ||
Sec. 76.201. GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The Texas Department of | ||
Insurance, in collaboration with the Texas Health and Human | ||
Services, shall develop a grant program to support the initial | ||
establishment and operation of federally qualified health center | ||
primary care access programs as demonstration projects, subject to | ||
the appropriation of money for this purpose. | ||
(b) In selecting grant recipients, the Texas Department of | ||
Insurance shall consider the extent to which the federally | ||
qualified health center primary care access program proposed by the | ||
applicant accomplishes the purposes of this chapter and meets the | ||
objectives established under Section 76.101. | ||
(c) The Texas Department of Insurance shall establish | ||
performance objectives for a grant recipient and shall monitor the | ||
performance of the grant recipient. | ||
(d) In addition to money appropriated by the legislature, | ||
the Texas Department of Insurance may accept gifts, grants, or | ||
donations from any source to administer and finance the federally | ||
qualified health center primary care access program. | ||
Sec. 76.202. REVIEW OF DEMONSTRATION PROJECT; REPORT. Not | ||
later than December 1, 2026, the Texas Department of Insurance | ||
shall complete a review of each federally qualified health center | ||
primary care access program that receives a grant under this | ||
subchapter and shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant | ||
governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives a report | ||
that includes: | ||
(1) an evaluation of the success of the federally | ||
qualified health center primary care access program in | ||
accomplishing the purposes of this chapter; and | ||
(2) the Texas Department of Insurance's | ||
recommendations for any legislation needed to facilitate or improve | ||
the federally qualified health center primary care access program. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |