Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

__ HEALTH AND HUMAN
ERVICES/Health Care
UMAN SERVICES
77 th Texas Legislature
public safety answering point to act as the resource center, to consider a public safety answering point's
ability to keep records and produce reports to measure the effectiveness of the pilot program.
Authorizes money in the 9-1-1 services fee fund to be appropriated to TDH to fund the pilot program.
Provides that TDH is also authorized to seek grant funding for the pilot program. Provides that the
requriement that TDH establish, conduct, and evaluate the pilot program are contingent on TDH receiving
funding.
Authorizes an emergency medical services provider and a first responder organization to acquire and
possess epinephrine auto-injector devices. Authorizes emergency medical services personnel certified as
emergency medical technicians or at a higher level of training to carry and administer the devices.
Community Health Center Revolving Loan Fund Program - H.B. 2574
by Representatives Solis and Olivo
Senate Sponsor: Senator Gallegos
Community health centers, often funded by public and private grants, provide health care services to
uninsured and underinsured residents. These centers may find it difficult to acquire commercial loans,
because their revenue source is not stable and consistent. A precarious financial situation contributes to
the centers' neglect of building repairs and other nonmedical services including meeting building code and
Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Establishes the community health center revolving loan fund to be administered by a development
corporation on behalf of the Health and Human Services Commission to increase community health
centers' access to loan money.
Preventing Fraud in Hospital District Funded Indigent Care - H.B. 3043
by Representative Luna
Senate Sponsor: Senator Truan
Hospital districts are designed to provide indigent care. In order to qualify for indigent care, an eligible
resident must provide certain documentation to prove that income and resource requirements have been
met. Hospital districts have experienced an increase in demand for and related costs of providing health
care, as well as numerous fraudulent misrepresentations when processing applications for enrollment in the
indigent health care program. Unlike county-funded indigent care programs, state law does not give
hospital districts the authority to establish procedures to prevent and detect fraud and disqualify individuals
from participating in the indigent care program as a result of fraud.
Authorizes hospital districts to establish a method to minimize, identify, and eliminate fraud in indigent
health care programs.
Senate Research Center 128