Trauma Funding Clean-Up |
Trauma Funding Limitation
Trauma Funding Clean-Up
HB 2470 by Rep. Dianne Delisi (R-Temple) and Sen. Jane Nelson
(R-Lewisville) perfects portions of the Driver Responsibility
Program and trauma funding account enacted in 2003. The bill
clarifies that the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
must reserve $500,000 each year for extraordinary emergencies
instead of maintaining that amount throughout the year. Any funds
not expended in a year may be allocated toward the next year's
reserve. It also allows the trauma regional advisory committees to
use any unspent funds in the following year. Additionally, it
requires traffic law citations to indicate that the driver may be
assessed a surcharge as part of the Driver Responsibility
Program.
Trauma Funding Limitation
Budget Rider 84, Article II - Texas Department of State Health
Services, limits the amount of funding that can be appropriated to
DSHS to compensate designated trauma facilities for uncompensated
trauma care. The General Appropriations Act, SB 1, provides a line
item appropriation of $31 million in each year of the biennium for
trauma care. DSHS had expected up to $59 million in 2006 and $80
million in 2007 from incoming receipts from the Driver
Responsibility Program. The rider, amended during conference
committee, gives the first $31 million in the account to DSHS.
Money accrued in the account above $31 million will be held in the
account. If the account exceeds $59 million in 2006, any excess
will be allocated to DSHS. In 2007, any funds over $89 million will
be allocated. In other words, in 2006, $28 million, the difference
between $31 million and $59 million, will sit in the account, and
only money in excess of $59, if any, will be distributed. In 2007,
$49 million will sit in the account. Only money above $80 million
will be allocated.
The rider was added in the final days and caught interested
legislators and trauma stakeholders by surprise. It is unlikely the
rider will be fixed during special sessions. Therefore, trauma
facility funding will be lower than anticipated during the next two
years. TMA supports full restoration of the funding.
Trauma/EMS TMA Staff Contacts:
- Helen Kent Davis, Governmental Affairs, (512) 370-1401
- Rich Johnson, Medical Economics, (512) 370-1315
- Hilary Dennis, Legislative Affairs, (512) 370-1370
Overview
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Tax Reform
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Scope of Practice
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Physician Ownership
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Inadequate Health Plan Networks
(Balanced Billing)
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Managed Care/Insurance Reform
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Texas State Board of Medical
Examiners Sunset and Physician Licensure
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Agency Sunset Review
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Corporate Practice of Medicine
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Health Care Funding
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Medicaid and CHIP
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Indigent Care and the
Uninsured
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Workers' Compensation
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Professional Liability Reform
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Medical Education/Workforce
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Child Health, Safety, and
Nutrition/Fitness
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Public Health
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Border Health
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Rural Health
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Mental Health
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Prescription Drugs
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Medical Science
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Long-Term Care
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Abortion
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Transplantation/Organ Donation
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Table of Contents
Last Updated On
April 02, 2012
Originally Published On
March 23, 2010