Bill Text: TX HB331 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishing a universal maternal home visiting program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-25 - Referred to Public Health [HB331 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB331-Introduced.html
By: Talarico | H.B. No. 331 |
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relating to establishing a universal maternal home visiting | ||
program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 32, Health and Safety Code, is amended | ||
by adding subsection 32.156 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 32.156. UNIVERSAL MATERNAL HOME VISITING. (a) | ||
Accordingly, within 100 days the Department is directed to produce | ||
and post publicly a plan to make substantial progress annually over | ||
five years toward offering evidence-based maternal home visiting | ||
programs universally to eligible families. | ||
(c) The plan may include (1) expansion of existing maternal | ||
home visiting programs; (2) proposed applications for federal and | ||
foundation grant funding; (3) "Pay for Success" social impact | ||
bonds; and/or (4) any other programs the Department identifies | ||
that would result in an efficient expansion of maternal home | ||
visiting service offerings. The plan should target expansion of | ||
maternal home visiting programs by at least 20% per year. | ||
(d) The plan should detail which actions the Department can | ||
pursue on its own without additional legislative action, and, | ||
within 60 days of the plan's publication, the Department shall | ||
commence those programs. | ||
(e) For aspects of the plan that would require additional | ||
action by the legislature, the Department shall include in the plan | ||
specific requests and outlines of legislative action needed, | ||
including budget requests. | ||
(f) Definitions | ||
(i) "maternal home visiting program" as defined in this | ||
section means an evidence-based home visiting models that is proven | ||
to improve child health and be cost effective, as measured by the | ||
federal Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) program. | ||
(ii) "eligible families" means families who are eligible | ||
for home visiting services under a service delivery model included | ||
in the definition in (i). | ||
(2) The authority shall design, implement and maintain a | ||
voluntary statewide program to provide universal newborn nurse home | ||
visiting services to all families with newborns residing in this | ||
state to support healthy child development and strengthen | ||
families. The authority shall design the universal newborn nurse | ||
home visiting program to be flexible so as to meet the needs of the | ||
communities where the program operates. | ||
(3) In designing the program described in subsection (2) of | ||
this section, the authority shall consult, coordinate and | ||
collaborate, as necessary, with insurers that offer health benefit | ||
plans in this state, hospitals, local public health authorities, | ||
existing early childhood home visiting programs, community-based | ||
organizations and social service providers. | ||
(4) The program must provide nurse home visiting services | ||
that are: | ||
(a) Based on criteria established by the United States | ||
Department of Health and Human Services for an evidence-based early | ||
childhood home visiting service delivery model; | ||
(b) Provided by registered nurses licensed in this state to | ||
families caring for newborns up to the age of six months, including | ||
foster and adoptive newborns; | ||
(c) Provided in the family's home; and | ||
(d) Aimed at improving outcomes in one or more of the | ||
following domains: | ||
(A) Child health; | ||
(B) Child development and school readiness; | ||
(C) Family economic self-sufficiency; | ||
(D) Maternal health; | ||
(E) Positive parenting; | ||
(F) Reducing child mistreatment; | ||
(G) Reducing juvenile delinquency; | ||
(H) Reducing family violence; or | ||
(I) Reducing crime. | ||
(5) The services provided in the program must: | ||
(a) Be voluntary and carry no negative consequences for a | ||
family that declines to participate; | ||
(b) Be offered in every community in this state; | ||
(c) Include an evidence-based assessment of the physical, | ||
social and emotional factors affecting the family; | ||
(d) Be offered to all families with newborns residing in the | ||
community where the program operates; | ||
(e) Include at least one visit during a newborn's first | ||
three months of life with the opportunity for the family to choose | ||
up to three additional visits; | ||
(f) Include a follow-up visit no later than three months | ||
after the last visit; and | ||
(g) Provide information and referrals to address each | ||
family's identified needs. | ||
(6) The authority shall collect and analyze data generated | ||
by the program to assess the effectiveness of the program in meeting | ||
the aims described in subsection (4)(d) of this section and shall | ||
work with other state agencies to develop protocols for sharing | ||
data, including the timely sharing of data with primary care | ||
providers of care to the families with newborns receiving the | ||
services. | ||
(7) In collaboration with the Department of Insurance, the | ||
authority shall adopt by rule, consistent with the provisions of | ||
this section, criteria for universal newborn nurse home visiting | ||
services that must be covered by health benefit plans in accordance | ||
with section 2 of this Act. | ||
SECTION 2. Chapter 1366, Insurance Code, is amended by | ||
adding subsection 1366.060 to read as follows: | ||
SECTION 1366.060. MATERNAL HOME VISITING COVERAGE. (a) A | ||
health benefit plan offered in this state must reimburse the cost | ||
of universal newborn nurse home visiting services as prescribed by | ||
the Department of State Health Services by rule under section 1 (7) | ||
of this 2019 Act. | ||
(3) The coverage must be provided without any cost-sharing, | ||
coinsurance or deductible applicable to the services. | ||
(4) Carriers must offer the services in their health benefit | ||
plans but enrollees are not required to receive the services as a | ||
condition of coverage and may not be penalized or in any way | ||
discouraged from declining the services. | ||
(5) A carrier must notify an enrollee about the services | ||
whenever an enrollee adds a newborn to coverage. | ||
(6) A carrier may use in-network providers or may contract | ||
with local public health authorities to provide the services. | ||
(7) This section does not require a carrier to reimburse the | ||
cost of the services in any specific manner. The services may be | ||
reimbursed using: | ||
(a) A value-based payment methodology; | ||
(b) A claim invoicing process; | ||
(c) Capitated payments; | ||
(d) A payment methodology that takes into account the need | ||
for a community-based entity providing the services to expand its | ||
capacity to provide the services and address health disparities; or | ||
(e) Any other methodology agreed to by the carrier and the | ||
provider of the services. | ||
(8) Carriers shall report to the authority, in the form and | ||
manner prescribed by the authority, data regarding claims | ||
submitted for services covered under this section to monitor the | ||
provision of the services. | ||
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, 2021. |