On September 22nd the Senate Committee on State Affairs met to go over the following interim charges:
2.Monitor the actuarial and financial conditions of the pension and health care programs administered by the Teacher Retirement System and the Employees Retirement System. Assess the effectiveness of pilot programs designed to encourage the use of clinical integration, payments for good outcomes, use of best practices, focus on wellness and prevention, and bundling of costs for episodes of care, and other health care savings initiatives.
9. Study the effect Texas hospital billing and collection practices have on the uninsured’s and under-insured’s access to hospital health care services, on the uninsured’s and under- insured’s economic circumstances, and on medical debt recorded as bad debt on hospital books and records. Assess whether hospital billing disparities involving pricing discounts between the uninsured and insured exist and make recommendations for any changes necessary.
A copy of the report on the hearing and handouts are available to HillCo clients at: http://login.hillcopartners.com/node/710