Bill: HB 1486, 85(R) - 2017
Committee
House Public Health
2nd Chamber Committee
Senate Health & Human Services
Vote Recommendation
| Vote Recommendation |
Economic Freedom |
Property Rights |
Personal Responsibility |
Limited Government |
Individual Liberty |
| Neutral |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Author(s)
Four Price
Sponsor(s)
Charles Schwertner
Bill Caption
Relating to peer specialists, peer services, and the provision of these services under the medical assistance program.
Fiscal Notes
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related
Funds for HB1486, Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted: a negative impact of
($1,532,623) through the biennium ending August 31, 2019. The agency is not
required to implement the legislation in the absence of an appropriation.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the
legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the
bill.
Bill Analysis
This bill would add peer services to the scope of services provided under Medicaid. The bill would also require the commission to adopt rules that establish training, certification, and supervision requirement for peer specialists, differentiate their scope of services from other services, define the services a peer specialist may provide, and any other rules to protect the health and safety of persons receiving peer services.
Vote Recommendation Notes
Although this bill would expand Medicaid coverage to reimburse peer services for recipients, expanding these services could save the state money in the long run by funding these prevention and treatment services and preventing people from being hospitalized or incarcerated due to substance abuse or mental health issues, and making recipients more productive and healthy in the long run. However, we do not have enough concrete evidence to support these speculative offsetting benefits, therefore we remain neutral.
