Bill Text: TX HB1879 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the provision of counseling services by certain providers under Medicaid and reimbursement for those services.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-23 - Placed on intent calendar [HB1879 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1879-Comm_Sub.html
| By: Darby, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Sparks) | H.B. No. 1879 | |
| (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2023; | ||
| May 9, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Health & | ||
| Human Services; May 21, 2023, reported adversely, with favorable | ||
| Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; | ||
| May 21, 2023, sent to printer.) | ||
| COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1879 | By: Sparks | |
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| relating to the provision of counseling services by certain | ||
| providers under Medicaid and reimbursement for those services. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 32.027, Human Resources Code, is amended | ||
| by amending Subsection (l) and adding Subsection (m) to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (l) Subject to appropriations, the commission shall assure | ||
| that a recipient of medical assistance under this chapter may | ||
| select a licensed psychologist, a licensed marriage and family | ||
| therapist, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code, a | ||
| licensed professional counselor, as defined by Section 503.002, | ||
| Occupations Code, or a licensed clinical [ |
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| defined by Section 505.002, Occupations Code, to perform any health | ||
| care service or procedure covered under the medical assistance | ||
| program if the selected person is authorized by law to perform the | ||
| service or procedure. This subsection shall be liberally | ||
| construed. | ||
| (m) The commission shall assure that a recipient of medical | ||
| assistance under this chapter may select the following to perform | ||
| any health care service or procedure covered under the medical | ||
| assistance program, including a service or procedure performed at a | ||
| federally qualified health center as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section | ||
| 1396d(l)(2)(B), if the selected person is licensed and authorized | ||
| by law to perform the service or procedure: | ||
| (1) a licensed marriage and family therapist | ||
| associate, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code, who is | ||
| working toward fulfilling the supervised practice requirements to | ||
| be licensed as a licensed marriage and family therapist, as defined | ||
| by that section; | ||
| (2) a licensed master social worker, as defined by | ||
| Section 505.002, Occupations Code, who is actively pursuing the | ||
| education and training required to be licensed as a licensed | ||
| clinical social worker, as defined by that section; or | ||
| (3) a licensed professional counselor associate, as | ||
| described by 22 T.A.C. Chapter 681, who is working toward | ||
| fulfilling the supervised practice requirements to be licensed as a | ||
| licensed professional counselor, as defined by Section 503.002, | ||
| Occupations Code. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 32.079 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 32.079. REIMBURSEMENT FOR CERTAIN COUNSELING | ||
| SERVICES. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), the commission shall | ||
| provide reimbursement under the medical assistance program to a | ||
| provider described by Section 32.027(m) who is selected by a | ||
| recipient of medical assistance and who provides a service or | ||
| procedure covered under the medical assistance program that the | ||
| provider is authorized by law to perform. The commission shall | ||
| ensure that the provider is reimbursed at a rate equal to 50 percent | ||
| of the reimbursement rate established for a licensed psychiatrist | ||
| or licensed psychologist for providing similar services. | ||
| (b) The commission shall ensure that reimbursement provided | ||
| to a provider under Subsection (a) is limited to not more than 3,000 | ||
| hours or, if applicable, the number of hours of clinical practice or | ||
| other experience the provider is required to complete to qualify | ||
| for the applicable license. | ||
| (c) This section shall be liberally construed. | ||
| SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act | ||
| a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a | ||
| federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, | ||
| the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or | ||
| authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the | ||
| waiver or authorization is granted. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
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