The following information was obtained from the February 14 issue of the Texas Register.
Public Hearings
HHSC will hold a public hearing on Monday, March 3, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. to receive public comment on proposed payment rates for cognitive rehabilitation therapy in the DADS-operated HCS and CLASS waiver programs. HHSC will also hold a public hearing on the same day at 10:30 a.m. to receive public comment on proposed payment rates for the DADS-operated HCBS-AMH program. Both hearings will take place in the Public Hearing Room, Room – A164, of the HHSC-MHMR Center Building, located at 909 West 45th Street, Austin. See the Texas Register for details.
Proposed Rules
HHSC proposed changes to the following sections of the code:
On DADS’ behalf, HHSC proposed to amend §55.3, Definitions; §55.27, Service Requirements; §55.33, Suspension of Services; §55.37, Termination of Services; and §55.41, Billing and Claims Payment in Chapter 55, Contracting to Provide Home-Delivered Meals, which would allow a provider agency to suspend or recommend the suspension of services if an individual or responsible party is not home to accept delivery of a meal for three nonconsecutive service days in a calendar month.
Adopted Rules
The Texas Board of Nursing adopted amendments to Chapter 216, §§216.1 – 216.3 and §§216.5 – 216.11, Continuing Competency, which require nurses to complete at least two, but no more than four, hours of continuing education relating to nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics before the end of every third, two-year licensing period, and other changes.
The board also adopted new Chapter 228, §228.1, Pain Management, which prescribes the minimum standards of nursing practice for an advanced practice registered nurse who provides pain management services.
