The following information was obtained from the October 1 issue of the Texas Register:
Public Notices
HHSC intends to submit Transmittal Number 10-052, Amendment Number 945 to the Texas State Plan for Medical Assistance, which would update the service description of targeted case management provided to infants and toddlers with developmental delays to ensure compliance with the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42, §440.169 and §441.18.
HHSC intends to submit to CMS a waiver amendment for the STAR+PLUS program, which would expand the program services to the following counties: Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall, Denton, Hood, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant, and Wise.
HHSC intends to submit to CMS a new Medicaid waiver under the authority of §1915(b) of the Social Security Act for the Nonemergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Program.
HHSC intends to submit Amendment 26 to the Texas State Plan for the SCHIP, which would remove the existing treatment limitations for SCHIP behavioral health benefits, such as limitations on the number of visits or days of treatment.
HHSC intends to submit Transmittal Number 10-059, Amendment Number 952, to the Texas State Plan for Medical Assistance, which would update the website address where Medicaid provider fee schedules and reimbursement rates can be accessed.
HHSC intends to submit Transmittal Number 10-061, Amendment Number 954, to the Texas State Plan for Medical Assistance, which would update and clarify the state plan to correspond to recent TAC changes regarding federally qualified health centers.
HHSC intends to submit Transmittal Number 10-062, Amendment Number 955 to the Texas State Plan for Medical Assistance, which updates and clarifies the methodology HHSC uses to qualify hospitals, compute hospital specific limits and calculate payments for hospitals that participate in the Disproportionate Share Hospital Program.
HHSC intends to submit Transmittal Number 10-063, Amendment Number 956, to the Texas State Plan for Medical Assistance, which would add Texas A&M Health Science Center to the list of approved state entities that are eligible to receive supplemental payments for physician services.
HHSC intends to submit Transmittal Number 10-064, Amendment Number 957, to the Texas State Plan for Medical Assistance, which would update and clarify the state plan to correspond to recent TAC changes regarding supplemental payments to rural hospitals, effective October 1, 2010.
See the Texas Register for details about submissions and to receive copies.
Proposes Rules
HHSC proposes to amend the following sections:
- Medicaid Health Services
- Reimbursement Rates
- Medicaid And Chip Electronic Health Information
- Medicaid Eligibility For The Elderly And People With Disabilities
- Medicaid Buy-In For Children Program
- Procurements By Health And Human Services Commission
The Texas Medical Board proposes to amend §172.5, concerning Visiting Physician Temporary Permits, which would provide that KSTAR permit applicants with prior or current disciplinary orders from a licensing entity related to professional boundaries or have been convicted of a felony are not eligible for a permit unless otherwise determined by the Board. See the Texas Register for more information.
Adopted Rules
The Texas Board of Nursing adopted amendments to §216.1 (relating to Definitions) and §216.3 (relating to Requirements). An excerpt:
The Board has studied and evaluated continuing competency methodologies and national and local initiatives relating to continuing competency since 2006. The Board first began evaluating and testing models of continuing competency after Senate Bill (SB) 617, effective September 1, 1997, was enacted by the 75th Texas Legislature. SB 617 authorized the Board to conduct pilot programs to evaluate the continuing competency of nurses in Texas. Pursuant to SB 617, the Board approved and funded six pilot studies, including: (i) evaluation of a mandatory competency evaluation program of an urban county hospital and the validity and reliability of a 360 degree performance appraisal system in an urban specialty hospital; (ii) delineation of competencies for nurses working in rural health care settings; (iii) the use of vignettes for targeted continuing education in psychiatric nursing; (iv) assessment of certification in ACLS and PALs as a valid indication of competence; (v) identification and assessment of competencies of nurses in long-term care; and (vi) development of reliable and validity information for assessing home health nurse competencies. Various recommendations resulted from these studies, including a recommendation from the Competency Advisory Committee that acceptable components of competency maintenance should not be limited solely to continuing education hours. The Board reported its findings and recommendations regarding continuing competency in a 2000 publication, Ensuring Professional Nursing Competency. Shortly thereafter, ongoing competency evaluation began receiving further national attention and review.
See the Texas Register for more information about the adopted rules.
