The Weekly Insight: May 14

Texas Insight Staff

May 14, 2019

Texas Insight’s Recent Reports

Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. The Committee gathered to consider the following (selected bills): HB 10 Thompson, Senfronia | et al. SP: Kolkhorst, relating to the creation of the Texas Mental and Behavioral Health Research Institute; HB 19 Price | et al. SP: Watson, relating to mental health and substance use resources for certain school districts; HB 871 Price | et al. SP: Perry, relating to use of telemedicine medical service by certain trauma facilities; and more. Follow this link for the full report.

House and Senate Selected Bills from the Week of April 29^th. This report includes coverage on the following: HB 4543 Klick | et al. House Committee Report, relating to implementation of the system redesign for the delivery of Medicaid benefits to persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities; SB 170 Perry | et al. SB170 as engrossed, relating to reimbursement of rural hospitals under Medicaid; HB 1578 Thierry HB1578 as introduced, relating to establishing the Mental Health Crisis and Suicide Prevention Task Force; HB 4610 Shaheen HB4610 as introduced, relating to the emergency detention of certain persons with a mental illness or cognitive disability; and more. Follow this link for the full report.

LBB Staff Document: Federal Funds Primer for Health and Human Services. The Legislative Budget Board staff have produced a document outlining the Top 100 Federal Funding Sources. Not surprisingly, many of these are in health and human services. Included in this document is the excerpt on health and human services federal funds from their report, providing background on the different federal funds that provide the funding the state uses in support of the health and human services system. Read the full report here.

House Human Services. The House Committee on Human Services met to consider the following bills: SB 355 West | et al., relating to developing a strategic plan to ensure that the provision of prevention and early intervention services complies with federal law; SB 1535 Menéndez, relating to a complaint made by a foster child or youth; SB 1564 West, relating to access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder under Medicaid; and SB 2040 Rodríguez, relating to a report regarding Medicaid reimbursement rates and access to care. Read TXI’s coverage of the meeting here.

Intellectual and Developmental Disability System Redesign Advisory Committee. The Committee gathered to elect the vice chair (Susan Garnett), hear updates on Managed care oversight improvement initiatives and the Statewide Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) strategic plan, hear subcommittee updates, and more. Find the full report here.

Drug Utilization Review Board. The Board gathered to hear public comment on drug classes to be reviewed for the Medicaid Preferred Drug List (PDL), public comment and therapeutic and clinical drug reviews on new drugs to be reviewed for the Medicaid PDL, therapeutic and clinical drug review updates, hold their Executive work session, hear announcements of proposed drugs recommended for the Medicaid PDL, hear the Retrospective drug utilization review (DUR), and more. Follow this link for the full report.