Bill Text: TX HB3317 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to programs established and operated by federally qualified health centers to provide primary care access to certain employees.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-04 - Laid on the table subject to call [HB3317 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB3317-Comm_Sub.html
88R19381 MPF-F | |||
By: Frank, et al. | H.B. No. 3317 | ||
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3317: | |||
By: Howard | C.S.H.B. No. 3317 |
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relating to programs established and operated by federally | ||
qualified health centers to provide primary care access to certain | ||
employees. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
amended by adding Chapter 76 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 76. FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER PRIMARY CARE ACCESS | ||
PROGRAM | ||
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS | ||
Sec. 76.001. PURPOSES. The purposes of this chapter are to: | ||
(1) increase access to primary care services at | ||
federally qualified health centers for low-income or at-risk | ||
individuals; | ||
(2) improve the health of the employees of | ||
participating employers and their families by improving access to | ||
health care; | ||
(3) contribute to economic development by assisting | ||
small businesses in remaining competitive through employment of a | ||
healthy workforce and provision of health care benefits that | ||
attract employees; and | ||
(4) encourage innovative solutions for providing and | ||
funding health care services and benefits for the employees. | ||
Sec. 76.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Department of insurance" means the Texas | ||
Department of Insurance. | ||
(2) "Employee" means an individual who is employed by | ||
an employer for compensation. The term includes a partner of a | ||
partnership and a proprietor of a sole proprietorship. | ||
(3) "Federally qualified health center" has the | ||
meaning assigned by 42 U.S.C. Section 1396d(l)(2)(B). | ||
(4) "Program" means a primary care access program a | ||
federally qualified health center establishes and operates under | ||
this chapter. | ||
SUBCHAPTER B. PRIMARY CARE ACCESS PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 76.051. ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF PROGRAM. (a) A | ||
federally qualified health center may establish and operate a | ||
primary care access program for the provision of primary care | ||
services and benefits directly to the employees of participating | ||
employers and their dependents within the service area of the | ||
federally qualified health center, with the approval of or under a | ||
contract with the department of insurance. | ||
(b) A program operated under this chapter shall, within the | ||
service area of the federally qualified health center and to the | ||
extent practicable: | ||
(1) reduce the number of individuals who lack access | ||
to primary care services; | ||
(2) reduce the cost of primary care services for small | ||
business employers and their employees; | ||
(3) promote preventative care and reduce the incidence | ||
of preventable health conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, | ||
diabetes, and low birth weight in infants; | ||
(4) promote efficient and collaborative delivery of | ||
primary care services; | ||
(5) serve as a model for the innovative use of health | ||
information technology; and | ||
(6) provide fair payment rates for participating | ||
health care providers. | ||
(c) A program may require participating employees and their | ||
dependents to obtain primary care services only from health care | ||
providers at the federally qualified health center. | ||
(d) A federally qualified health center that operates a | ||
program under this subchapter is not subject to regulation by the | ||
department of insurance as an insurer or health maintenance | ||
organization. | ||
Sec. 76.052. PARTICIPATION BY EMPLOYERS; SHARE OF COST. | ||
(a) A federally qualified health center may establish program | ||
participation criteria for employers, employees of the employer, | ||
and the employees' dependents. | ||
(b) A federally qualified health center may: | ||
(1) require participating employers and their | ||
employees to pay a share of the premium or other cost of the primary | ||
care services; | ||
(2) contract with a health foundation or other | ||
nonprofit organization to support payment of the employer's or | ||
employee's share under Subdivision (1); and | ||
(3) screen employees and their dependents for | ||
eligibility to enroll in other state programs and for federal | ||
subsidies in the health insurance marketplace. | ||
Sec. 76.053. FUNDING. (a) In addition to grants awarded | ||
under Subchapter C, a federally qualified health center may accept | ||
gifts, grants, or donations from any source to administer and | ||
finance the program. | ||
(b) A federally qualified health center shall actively | ||
solicit gifts, grants, and donations to: | ||
(1) fund primary care services and benefits provided | ||
under the program; and | ||
(2) reduce the cost of participation in the program | ||
for employers and their employees. | ||
SUBCHAPTER C. PRIMARY CARE ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 76.101. GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The department of | ||
insurance, in collaboration with the commission, shall establish | ||
and administer a grant program to award grants to federally | ||
qualified health centers operating a program under this chapter. | ||
(b) In awarding a grant under this section, the department | ||
of insurance shall consider whether the program will accomplish the | ||
purposes of this chapter and meet the objectives established under | ||
Section 76.051(b). | ||
(c) The department of insurance shall establish performance | ||
objectives for a grant recipient and monitor whether the recipient | ||
meets those objectives. | ||
(d) In addition to money appropriated by the legislature, | ||
the department of insurance may accept gifts, grants, or donations | ||
from any source to administer and finance the grant program. | ||
Sec. 76.102. REPORT. Not later than December 1 of each | ||
even-numbered year, the department of insurance and the commission | ||
shall jointly submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and | ||
the speaker of the house of representatives a report: | ||
(1) evaluating the success of the program in | ||
accomplishing the purposes of this chapter; and | ||
(2) recommending any legislative or other action | ||
necessary to facilitate or improve the program. | ||
SECTION 2. 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, 2023. |