Bill Text: TX SB1979 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the study of the fiscal impact on local governments in Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall Counties of restructuring the NorthSTAR behavioral health system and the effective implementation the Sunset Commission Health and Human Services Commission Issue 9 recommendation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-25 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB1979 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-SB1979-Introduced.html
 
 
  By: Hall S.B. No. 1979
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the study of the fiscal impact on local governments in
  Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall Counties of
  restructuring the NorthSTAR behavioral health system and the
  effective implementation the Sunset Commission Health and Human
  Services Commission Issue 9 recommendation.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The Texas Health and Human Services Commission
  shall contract with a private entity approved by the North Texas
  Behavioral Health Authority through a majority vote of the
  authority's board of directors to undertake a comprehensive study
  of the potential impact on local governments and continuity of
  services in Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall
  Counties if the present behavioral health managed care structure,
  known as the NorthSTAR system, were to be dismantled in accordance
  with the recommendations in Issue 9 of the Health and Human Services
  Sunset Commission report.
         SECTION 2.  The scope of the study shall encompass but not be
  limited to
  a)  Defining the initial and expected impact on
  county and municipal budgets of any system that
  might replace the present configuration
  b)  Defining the likelihood of and anticipated
  impact of recidivism resulting from increased
  acuity in the indigent population presently
  served in the current system if care is disrupted
  c)  Defining the potential impact on network
  access
  d)  Defining the impact on integrated care
  e)  Defining the overall impact on quality of care
  outcomes
  f)  Defining the overall impact on the cost of
  care
  g)  Defining the initial and expected impact on
  local medical and surgical hospitals
         SECTION 3.  The findings of this study will be reported back
  to the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority and the Texas Health
  and Human Services Commission no later than June 30, 2016.
         SECTION 4.  
         Collin County may exit NorthSTAR on or by October 1, 2016.
         The present deadline for any other changes to the NorthSTAR
  model shall be changed to September 1, 2017. This
  modification shall be made in order to align the current
  contract cycle with the State of Texas fiscal year and allow
  the next Legislature the ability to make an appropriately
  informed deliberation on the future of public behavioral
  health care in Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro and
  Rockwall Counties.
               SECTION 5. In the interim period the North Texas
  Behavioral Health Authority and the Texas Health and Human
  Services Commission shall solicit local stakeholder and
  community input, and incorporating the findings of the impact
  study, shall work with the representatives designated by the
  affected county governments in the development of a system
  that incorporates
  a)  Local control and governance of the system by
  member counties through their designated voting
  representatives on the North Texas Behavioral
  Health Authority
  b)  True integration and coordination of mental
  health services, substance use disorder services,
  crisis services and physical health care
  c)  Equal care for non-Medicaid and Medicaid
  behavioral health populations
  d)  Open access 
  e)  Braided local, state, and federal funding
  f)  Connectivity and coordination of coverage
  which preserves the principles of 'no wrong door'
  g)  Choice of providers
  h)  Waiver of Institute of Mental Disease (IMD)
  Exclusion
  i)  Separation of authority and provider
  functions
  j)  Serving all those meeting state criteria for
  behavioral health services in one system:
  i.  Income at or below 200% of Federal
  Poverty Level,
  ii.  All individuals meeting state
  behavioral health clinical criteria;
  iii.  Individuals meeting state Medicaid
  requirements
  k)  Comprehensive evaluation and transparent
  publication of data
  l)  Status as a public local behavioral health
  authority entity eligible to put up non-federal
  dollars to match federal DSRIP funds
  m)  Provider payment plan and mechanisms to ensure
  a competitive provider market and an adequate
  network of providers capable of providing broad
  access to services;
  n)  Plan to ensure quality of services provided to
  clients and 
  o)  Incentives of inclusion of local
  participation or match requirements
  p)  Option for Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman,
  Navarro or Rockwall Counties to continue in the
  plan or choose an alternate model and for counties
  contiguous to present or future NorthSTAR
  counties to join the model if the county
  governments of those contiguous counties should
  so choose
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect immediately.
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