Texas Legislature to consider health and wellness issues
By Nicole Rogers, MPH, CHES
The Texas Legislature will consider several bills related to health and wellness before the regular session concludes at the end of May. We wanted you to be aware of some of the health issues that are coming up before the State Legislature.
Children’s Health
Insurance Program
Several bills have been introduced this session that will impact thousands of Texas children through the Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP. CHIP is designed for families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid yet cannot afford to buy private insurance for their children. CHIP provides a full range of health services, such as check-ups, immunizations, and prescription drugs. Changes being considered include:
Allowing 12 months continuous eligi-bility for CHIP. Eliminating bureaucratic roadblocks to encourage personal respon-sibility and help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. This includes fixing the Integrated Eligibility System to prevent eligible children from losing CHIP and Children’s Medicaid. It also means eliminating the CHIP asset test and the 90-day waiting period for coverage to begin, getting children into the system faster. Also being proposed is allowing families to deduct child care and child support expenses when calculating income for CHIP.
Instituting adequate reimbursement for Medicaid and CHIP providers, as provided prior to budget cuts made in 2003.
Investing in the funding of outreach and education efforts for the children’s health insurance at 2002 levels.
Mental health
Children’s mental health. Requiring health insurance plans to cover mental health diagnosis and treatment for children under the same terms and conditions as physical illnesses.
Eating disorders. Including the diagnosis and treatment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia or other eating disorders on the list of mental illnesses that must be covered under the same terms and conditions as physical illnesses.
Self-inflicted injuries. Requiring health insurance plans to cover the treatment of self inflicted injuries under the same terms and conditions as physical illnesses.
Other diseases
Chronic kidney disease. The creation of a Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force to develop a plan to educate health care professionals about the advantages and methods of early screening, diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease and related complications. The task force would also be charged with educating health care professionals and individuals with chronic kidney disease of the advantages of end-stage renal disease education and early renal replacement therapy. The task force is being suggested due to the fact that early diagnosis and effective treatment of chronic kidney disease can prolong lives and delay the high cost associated with the disease.
Diabetes. The creation of a diabetes mellitus registry pilot program to be managed by the Department of State Health Services in coordination with a public health district.
Obesity. The establishment of a research program for the prevention and treatment of obesity-related health concerns. The Department of State Health Services, with the assistance of the Texas Department of Insurance, will be asked to identify and encourage evidence-based clinical inter-vention to prevent and treat obesity. This may include guidelines for the medical community, insurers or other health benefit plan issuers in developing plans for obesity-related health concerns.
For more information please visit www.capitol.state.tx.us.
Nicole Rogers, MPH, CHES, is the executive director of The Health Collaborative, public-private model for solving community health issues. For more information, visit www.healthcollaborative.net.
