Respite Care Takes A Hit Under Leaders’ Proposed Budgets

The second week of the Texas legislative session saw the unveiling of dueling budget proposals from House and Senate leaders who are starting negotiations over state spending billions of dollars apart and at odds over several key priorities. Both proposals fail to identify funding for a Lifespan Respite Program that’s considered invaluable to many unpaid family caregivers in Texas.

More than 3 million Texans are caring each day for an aging parent or loved one, helping them to live independently in their own homes. These caregivers often carry huge responsibilities; and the Lifespan Respite Program, which has received $1 million per biennium ($500,000 a year) in general revenue funding in recent years, has helped to cover a wide variety of essential services throughout the state to support caregivers.

The state budget drafts offered this week by House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) and Senate Finance Chair Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) do not recommend any state spending on the program, a move that follows a similar spending cut recommendation by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees state departments that deal with health and human services.

Currently, state dollars are dedicated for the respite care services through eight of the the state’s 22 Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs). The Lifespan Respite Program has, among other things, provided training to unpaid family caregivers so they can better care for their loved ones and manage their own stress. It also provides unpaid family caregivers with short periods of relief or breaks from their caregiving duties so they can go to the grocery store or to a doctor’s appointment.

To learn more about how to access respite care services in Texas, visit this page from the Texas Health and Human Services: https://www.dads.state.tx.us/taketimetexas/index.cfm

 

Sen. Hancock Files Bill To Combat Surprise Medical Bills

Sen. Kelly Hancock, chairman of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, this week filed legislation (SB 507) to expand consumer protections against surprise medical bills.

In a press release announcing the bill, which is supported by AARP Texas, Hancock said: “No Texan looks forward to visiting a surgical center or emergency room, but when that happens, hidden charges and surprise bills should be the last thing on their mind.”

Surprise medical billing, or balance billing, is a practice in the healthcare system in which patients are charged at out-of-network prices for services when they’ve been treated at what they believe to be an in-network facility.

Senator Hancock is the author of a 2009 law establishing a Texas Department of Insurance mediation system for consumers who get  a surprise medical bill. SB 507 will expand the mediation system to include all types of out-of-network providers who treat patients, including freestanding emergency departments, and makes other important changes for consumers.

 

Lawmakers Get Update On Massive State Agency Consolidation

In recent days, a panel of senators and representatives got a progress report on efforts to consolidate the state's five health and human services agencies into three. A bill last session directed the transformation after state auditors found the five agencies were difficult to navigate for clients, were rife with compartmentalization and suffer from a lack of interagency communication and confusion at the management level. The plan passed in 2015 will eliminate the Department of Aging and Disability Services and Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services and move their duties to the Health and Human Service Commission. The Department of State Health Services, which manages the state's Medicaid program, and the Department of Family and Protective Services, which oversees child and elder protective services, will remain independent.


Senate Committee Assignments Announced

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced new Senate committee assignments this week, shifting responsibilities for only a few lawmakers and changing the chair of just one committee. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, will now lead the Senate Administration Committee, which handles various administrative matters for the Senate, such as office, space, personnel and payroll. The new committee lineup keeps in place most of the appointments Patrick made two years ago when, in his first year as Senate leader.

  Here's a list of all the committee chairs:

• Administration — Sen. Lois Kolkhorst
• Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs — Sen. Charles Perry
• Business & Commerce — Sen. Kelly Hancock
• Criminal Justice — Sen. John Whitmire
• Education — Sen. Larry Taylor
• Finance — Sen. Jane Nelson
• Health & Human Services — Sen. Charles Schwertner
• Higher Education — Sen. Kel Seliger
• Intergovernmental Relations — Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr.
• Natural Resources & Economic Development — Sen. Craig Estes
• Nominations — Sen. Brian Birdwell
• State Affairs — Sen. Joan Huffman
• Transportation — Sen. Robert Nichols
• Veteran Affairs & Border Security — Sen. Donna Campbell

See the full list of committee assignments here:   http://www.senate.texas.gov/_assets/pdf/85th_Senate_Committees.pdf

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