The following information was obtained from the September 24 issue of the Texas Register:
Public Hearing and Notices
HHSC will hold a public hearing on October 12, 2010, at 9 a.m. to receive public comment on proposed rates for Hospice routine home, continuous home, inpatient respite, and general inpatient care. The hearing will take place in the Lone Star Conference Room of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Braker Center, Building H, located at 11209 Metric Boulevard, Austin, Texas.
HHSC intends to submit to CMS a request for an amendment to the Youth Empowerment Services waiver program. The change would revise service descriptions to match current standards of practice for respite, adaptive aids and supports, and professional services.
HHSC submitted Transmittal Number 10-002, Amendment Number 895, to the Texas State Plan for Medical Assistance, which added a new optional Medicaid coverage group for children with disabilities who are under age 19, under the Family Opportunity Act.
For more information about the hearing and amendments, see the relevant section of the Texas Register.
Proposed Rules
HHSC proposes to amend §355.112, concerning Attendant Compensation Rate Enhancement, which would exclude Interveners I, II, and III from the definition of an attendant. Consequently, DBMD providers will not be eligible to receive attendant compensation rate enhancements to the Intervener I, II or III rates.
HHSC also proposes to amend §355.513, concerning Reimbursement Methodology for the DBMD Waiver Program, and §355.8441, concerning Reimbursement Methodologies for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment services. For details about the change, see the Texas Register.
The Texas Medical Board proposes amendments to §164.4, concerning Board Certification, which would clarify what specialty certifying boards a physician may use in advertisements. For details, see the Texas Register.
Adopted Rules
The Texas Medical Board adopts amendments to §190.8, concerning Violation Guidelines. An excerpt:
The amendments to §190.8 provide that (1) a physician-patient relationship is not necessary when a physician prescribes medications to a patient’s family members if the patient has an illness determined to be pandemic; and (2) unprofessional conduct includes contacting a member of a peer review body for purposes of intimidation in relation to a board investigation. The nonsubstantive changes to the rule relate to what entities are responsible for determining when a pandemic occurs.
The Board adopted amendments to §193.6, concerning Delegation of the Carrying Out or Signing of Prescription Drug Orders to Physician Assistants and Advanced Practice Nurses, which clarified that physicians who delegate to certified registered nurse anesthetists who only sign or carry out prescription drug orders are not required to register with the Board.
See the Texas Register for more information about these changes.
