86R13479 KLA-D
 
  By: Muñoz, Jr. H.B. No. 2355
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to information sharing among care coordinators and
  providers participating in the Medicaid managed care program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 533, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 533.00293 to read as follows:
         Sec. 533.00293.  INFORMATION SHARING. (a) In this section:
               (1)  "Care coordination" means assisting recipients to
  develop a plan of care, including a service plan, that meets the
  recipient's needs and coordinating the provision of Medicaid
  benefits in a manner that is consistent with the plan of care. The
  term is synonymous with "case management," "service coordination,"
  and "service management."
               (2)  "Care coordinator" means a person, including a
  case manager, engaged by a managed care organization to provide
  care coordination benefits.
         (b)  To the extent permitted under applicable federal and
  state law enacted to protect the confidentiality and privacy of
  patients' health information, managed care organizations that
  contract with the commission under this chapter to provide health
  care services to recipients shall ensure the sharing of
  information, including recipient medical records, among care
  coordinators and health care providers as appropriate to provide
  care coordination benefits. For purposes of implementing this
  section, a managed care organization may allow a care coordinator
  to share a recipient's service plan with health care providers,
  subject to the limitations of this section.
         SECTION 2.  If before implementing any provision of this Act
  a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
  federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
  the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
  authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
  waiver or authorization is granted.
         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, 2019.