By: Talarico H.B. No. 331
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to establishing a universal maternal home visiting
  program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 32, Health and Safety Code, is amended
  by adding subsection 32.156 to read as follows:
         Sec. 32.156.  UNIVERSAL MATERNAL HOME VISITING.  (a)
  Accordingly, within 100 days the Department is directed to produce
  and post publicly a plan to make substantial progress annually over
  five years toward offering evidence-based maternal home visiting
  programs universally to eligible families.
         (c)  The plan may include (1) expansion of existing maternal
  home visiting programs; (2) proposed applications for federal and
  foundation grant funding; (3) "Pay for Success" social impact
  bonds; and/or (4) any other programs the Department identifies
  that would result in an efficient expansion of maternal home
  visiting service offerings. The plan should target expansion of
  maternal home visiting programs by at least 20% per year.
         (d)  The plan should detail which actions the Department can
  pursue on its own without additional legislative action, and,
  within 60 days of the plan's publication, the Department shall
  commence those programs.
         (e)  For aspects of the plan that would require additional
  action by the legislature, the Department shall include in the plan
  specific requests and outlines of legislative action needed,
  including budget requests.
         (f)  Definitions
         (i)  "maternal home visiting program" as defined in this
  section means an evidence-based home visiting models that is proven
  to improve child health and be cost effective, as measured by the
  federal Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) program.
         (ii)  "eligible families" means families who are eligible
  for home visiting services under a service delivery model included
  in the definition in (i).
         (2)  The authority shall design, implement and maintain a
  voluntary statewide program to provide universal newborn nurse home
  visiting services to all families with newborns residing in this
  state to support healthy child development and strengthen
  families. The authority shall design the universal newborn nurse
  home visiting program to be flexible so as to meet the needs of the
  communities where the program operates.
         (3)  In designing the program described in subsection (2) of
  this section, the authority shall consult, coordinate and
  collaborate, as necessary, with insurers that offer health benefit
  plans in this state, hospitals, local public health authorities,
  existing early childhood home visiting programs, community-based
  organizations and social service providers.
         (4)  The program must provide nurse home visiting services
  that are:
         (a)  Based on criteria established by the United States
  Department of Health and Human Services for an evidence-based early
  childhood home visiting service delivery model;
         (b)  Provided by registered nurses licensed in this state to
  families caring for newborns up to the age of six months, including
  foster and adoptive newborns;
         (c)  Provided in the family's home; and
         (d)  Aimed at improving outcomes in one or more of the
  following domains:
               (A)  Child health;
               (B)  Child development and school readiness;
               (C)  Family economic self-sufficiency;
               (D)  Maternal health;
               (E)  Positive parenting;
               (F)  Reducing child mistreatment;
               (G)  Reducing juvenile delinquency;
               (H)  Reducing family violence; or
               (I)  Reducing crime.
  (5)  The services provided in the program must:
         (a)  Be voluntary and carry no negative consequences for a
  family that declines to participate;
         (b)  Be offered in every community in this state;
         (c)  Include an evidence-based assessment of the physical,
  social and emotional factors affecting the family;
         (d)  Be offered to all families with newborns residing in the
  community where the program operates;
         (e)  Include at least one visit during a newborn's first
  three months of life with the opportunity for the family to choose
  up to three additional visits;
         (f)  Include a follow-up visit no later than three months
  after the last visit; and
         (g)  Provide information and referrals to address each
  family's identified needs.
         (6)  The authority shall collect and analyze data generated
  by the program to assess the effectiveness of the program in meeting
  the aims described in subsection (4)(d) of this section and shall
  work with other state agencies to develop protocols for sharing
  data, including the timely sharing of data with primary care
  providers of care to the families with newborns receiving the
  services.
         (7)  In collaboration with the Department of Insurance, the
  authority shall adopt by rule, consistent with the provisions of
  this section, criteria for universal newborn nurse home visiting
  services that must be covered by health benefit plans in accordance
  with section 2 of this Act.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 1366, Insurance Code, is amended by
  adding subsection 1366.060 to read as follows:
         SECTION 1366.060.  MATERNAL HOME VISITING COVERAGE. (a)  A
  health benefit plan offered in this state must reimburse the cost
  of universal newborn nurse home visiting services as prescribed by
  the Department of State Health Services by rule under section 1 (7)
  of this 2019 Act.
         (3)  The coverage must be provided without any cost-sharing,
  coinsurance or deductible applicable to the services.
         (4)  Carriers must offer the services in their health benefit
  plans but enrollees are not required to receive the services as a
  condition of coverage and may not be penalized or in any way
  discouraged from declining the services.
         (5)  A carrier must notify an enrollee about the services
  whenever an enrollee adds a newborn to coverage.
         (6)  A carrier may use in-network providers or may contract
  with local public health authorities to provide the services.
         (7)  This section does not require a carrier to reimburse the
  cost of the services in any specific manner. The services may be
  reimbursed using:
         (a)  A value-based payment methodology;
         (b)  A claim invoicing process;
         (c)  Capitated payments;
         (d)  A payment methodology that takes into account the need
  for a community-based entity providing the services to expand its
  capacity to provide the services and address health disparities; or
         (e)  Any other methodology agreed to by the carrier and the
  provider of the services.
         (8)  Carriers shall report to the authority, in the form and
  manner prescribed by the authority, data regarding claims
  submitted for services covered under this section to monitor the
  provision of the services.
         SECTION 3.  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, 2021.