BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2146

By: Howard

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Local provider participation funds are an optional method of finance for local governments to generate and collect local funding for Texas Medicaid supplemental and directed payment programs. These funds may be used for providing the nonfederal share of Medicaid payments for uncompensated care pursuant to the state's 1115 Medicaid waiver, among other purposes. Travis County created a local provider participation fund in 2019, which is set to expire on December 31, 2023. If allowed to expire, the method of finance the Travis County Hospital District, known as Central Health, uses to serve uninsured Texans in Austin will disappear. H.B. 2146 seeks to allow Travis County to continue serving uninsured Texans living in Austin by postponing the expiration of the district's authority to use this funding mechanism.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2146 amends the Health and Safety Code to postpone from December 31, 2023, to December 31, 2027, the expiration of the authority of a hospital district in a county with a population of more than 800,000 that was not included in a hospital district's boundaries before September 1, 2003, to administer and operate a health care provider participation program and statutory provisions governing the program.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.