The following information was obtained from the August 13 issue of the Texas Register:
Public Notices
HHSC intends to submit to CMS a waiver amendment for the State of Texas Access Reform Program, a Managed Care waiver program under the authority of §1915(b) of the Social Security Act. The amendment would add new benefits for the proposed substance use disorder treatment services, including those provided in residential settings.
HHSC is anticipating expanding the STAR+PLUS 1915(b) and two 1915(c) waivers to the area currently part of Integrated Care Management 1915(c) waiver services. HHSC is submitting ICM 1915(c) waiver renewals in the unlikely event STAR+PLUS expansion is delayed beyond the anticipated start date of February 1, 2011.
HHSC announced the release of its Request for Proposals (RFP) for consulting services for RFP 529-11-0009, to procure a consultant to assist HHSC with the design, development, implementation and management of healthcare reform in accordance with the specifications contained in this RFP.
See the Texas Register for more information.
Proposed Rules
The Texas Board of Nursing proposes to amend §216.1 (relating to Definitions) and §216.3 (relating to Requirements), necessary to advance the Board’s comprehensive approach to continuing competency in nursing. An excerpt:
The proposed amendments to §216.1 and §216.3 are intended to supplement the rules that were adopted by the Board in August, 2009. The adopted rules allow a nurse to choose among three methods of demonstrating his or her continuing competency for each two-year licensing period. Under existing §216.3(a), a nurse may complete 20 contact hours of continuing education. Under existing §216.3(b), a nurse may achieve, maintain, or renew an approved national nursing certification in the nurse’s area of practice. Finally, under existing §216.5, a nurse may attend an academic course that meets certain, prescribed criteria. The proposed amendments to §216.1 and §216.3 build upon this groundwork by requiring a nurse who chooses to complete continuing education courses to complete courses in his or her area of practice.
See the Texas Register for more information.
Adopted Rules
HHSC adopted an amendment to §355.8065, concerning Disproportionate Share Hospital Reimbursement Methodology, which, deletes language in the rule that describes references to the DSH 2010 program year. Additionally, the change removes restrictive language under the definition of “dually eligible patient.”
HHSC also adopted an amendment to §355.8068, concerning Supplemental Payments to Certain Urban Hospitals, which allows a governmental entity that didn’t provide the maximum intergovernmental transfer amount in any of the first three quarters of a fiscal year to fund the remaining amount up to this maximum with the final fourth quarter intergovernmental transfer of that fiscal year.
HHSC adopted an amendment to §355.8101, concerning Rural Health Clinics Reimbursement and §355.8261, concerning Federally Qualified Health Center Services Reimbursement, to update the Medicaid reimbursement methodology for both.
See the Texas Register for more information.
