There were several bills introduced this legislative session concerning county responsibility for indigent health care services. This responsibility is defined in Chapter 61, Health and Safety Code.
Severe reductions in the state health care budget have placed regional public hospitals in a budgetary crisis. An interim study by the Senate Committee on Health examined the indigent health care system and urged county representatives to “come to an agreement on the structure of a regionalized system, funding mechanisms, eligibility and program benefits.” The study also recommended reinstatement of the Indigent Health Care Advisory Committee.
HB636 by Rep. Fred Brown would have required all indigent health care counties to expend at least 6 percent of their General Revenue Tax Levy (GRTL) each year or increase their eligibility standards in the next year. This bill was amended in committee to require the state to reimburse counties for all indigent health care costs and include these costs in the Medicaid program. This bill died in the House Calendar Committee.
HB930 by Rep. Dan Branch and SB230 by Sen. Royce West would have increased eligibility to 200 percent of poverty and transferred any unexpended funds under 8 percent of GRTL into a state fund. Both of these bills died in committee.
SB44 by Sen. Jane Nelson and Rep. Dianne White Delisi passed. It creates an Indigent Health Care Advisory Committee, appointed by the Commissioner of Health and Human Services. The committee shall conduct a feasibility study on the implementation of a pilot program on regionalization of county indigent health care services and propose recommendations by Nov. 1, 2006 on legislative changes in the indigent health care system. The committee expires Sept. 1, 2007. If you are interested in an appointment to this committee, contact Albert Hawkins, Texas Commission on Health and Human Services.
The regional hospitals regained some of the lost state funding. However, they remain on the critical list. We must unite with them to obtain sufficient state/federal funding for these services, rather than increasing demands on property taxpayers.
For more information, please call me at 1-800-733-0699.
