MINUTES
SENATE INTERIM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Thursday, January 22, 1998
9 a.m.
Senate Chamber
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Interim Committee on
Health and Human Services was held on Thursday, January 22,
1998, in the Senate Chamber at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair
Senator John Carona
Senator Chris Harris
Senator Jon Lindsay
Senator Frank Madla
*****
The chair called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. A quorum was
established as the meeting progressed, and the following
business was transacted.
The chair made opening remarks and announced that the purpose
of the meeting was to receive a progress report and briefing
regarding the charges issued to the committee by Lt. Gov. Bob
Bullock.
The chair called invited panelists to provide committee
members with a progress report regarding efforts to reduce
fraud and improper payments under state Medicaid and welfare
programs, including the implementation of Senate Bill 30 by
Sen. Judith Zaffirini and Rep. Glen Maxey.
The following persons provided oral and written testimony:
Dr. Michael McKinney, commissioner, Texas Health and
Human Services Commission, 4900 North Lamar, Austin,
Texas 78751.
Drew Beckley, executive, Electronic Data Systems, 11044
Research Blvd., Bldg. C, Austin, Texas 78759.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services, P.O. Box 149030, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Dr. William Archer, commissioner, Texas Department of
Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78757.
Randy Washington, deputy commissioner, Health Care
Financing, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th
Street, Austin, Texas 78757.
Becky Beechinor, division director, Health Facility
Licensing Division, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West
49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756.
Aurora LeBrun, associate commissioner, Texas Health and
Human Services Commission, 4900 North Lamar, Austin,
Texas 78751.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses, but
did not testify:
Anne Sapp, deputy commissioner, Government Relations,
Texas Department of Human Services, P.O. Box 149030,
Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Pauline Starr, program services director, Electronic Data
Systems/National Heritage Insurance Company, 11044
Research Blvd., Bldg. C, Austin, Texas 78759.
Diane Davis, director, Analysis Development and Research,
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, 3513 Galena
Hills Loop, Round Rock, Texas 78681.
Robin Herskowitz, senior analyst, Comptroller of Public
Accounts, 111 East 17th Street, Austin, Texas 78711-3528.
Beth Taylor, division chief, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit,
Office of the Attorney General, P.O. Box 12548, Austin,
Texas 78711-2548.
Melissa Todd, division chief, Elder Law, Office of the
Attorney General, P.O. Box 12548, Austin, Texas
78711-2548.
The chair called invited panelists to provide committee
members with a progress report regarding federal welfare
reform.
The following person provided oral testimony:
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services, P.O. Box 149030, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
The chair suspended testimony regarding federal welfare reform
and called invited panelists to brief committee members
regarding the Texas tobacco settlement.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
The Honorable Dan Morales, attorney general, Office of
the Attorney General, P.O. Box 12548, Austin, Texas
78711-2548.
Harry Potter, special assistant attorney general for
litigation, Office of the Attorney General, P.O. Box
12548, Austin, Texas 78711-2548.
The chair called invited panelists to resume providing
committee members with a progress report regarding federal
welfare reform.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services, P.O. Box 149030, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Bill Hammond, chair, Texas Workforce Commission, 101 East
15th Street, Austin, Texas 78778-0001.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses, but
did not testify:
Anne Sapp, deputy commissioner, Government Relations,
Texas Department of Human Services, P.O. Box 149030,
Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Larry Temple, director of welfare reform, Texas Workforce
Commission, 101 15th Street, Austin, Texas 78778-0001.
The chair called invited panelists to provide committee
members with a progress report regarding the implementation of
Senate Bill 55 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini and Rep. Hugo
Berlanga, relating to minors' access to tobacco.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Dr. William Archer, commissioner, Texas Department of
Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78757.
Robin Herskowitz, senior analyst, Office of the
Comptroller of Public Accounts, 111 East 17th Street,
Austin, Texas 78711-3528.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses, but
did not testify:
Dr. Phillip Huang, acting director, Office of Tobacco
Prevention and Control, Texas Department of Health, 1100
West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78757.
Dr. Patti Patterson, deputy commissioner, Texas
Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin,
Texas 78757.
Jim McDade, Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse,
90031 North IH35, Austin, Texas 78759.
The chair called the invited witness to provide committee
members with a progress report regarding developments in the
federal tobacco settlement discussions.
The following person provided oral and written testimony:
Jon Hinojosa, legislative liaison, Texas Office of State
and Federal Relations, 1201 Brazos, Suite 313, Austin,
Texas 78711.
The chair called invited panelists to provide committee
members with a progress report regarding demographic trends
in Texas that will impact the health and human services
delivery system in the future.
The following persons provided oral and written testimony:
Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Department of Mental
Health and Mental Retardation, P.O. Box 12668, Austin,
Texas 78711-2668.
Mary Sapp, executive director, Texas Department on Aging,
P.O. Box 12786, Austin, Texas 78711-2786.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services, P.O. Box 149030, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Dr. William Archer, commissioner, Texas Department of
Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78757.
The chair called invited panelists to provide committee
members with a progress report regarding current practices in
patient billing by Texas hospitals and providers of health
care to evaluate the accuracy, clarity and timeliness of
patient billing.
The following persons provided oral and written testimony:
Becky Beechinor, division director, Health Facility
Licensing Division, Texas Department of Health, 1100
West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78757.
John Evans, director, Hospital Licensing, Health Facility
Licensing Division, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West
49th Street, Austin, Texas 78757.
Pam Perkins, investigator, Consumer Protection Division,
Office of the Attorney General, 209 West 14th Street,
Austin, Texas 78711-2548.
The following person provided oral testimony:
Rhonda Myron, director, Governmental Affairs, Texas
Department of Insurance, 333 Guadalupe, Austin, Texas
78714.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses, but
did not testify:
Nance Stearman, director, Health Facility Compliance
Division, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th
Street, Austin, Texas 78756.
Dianne Longley, insurance director, Life and Group
Health, Texas Department of Insurance, 333 Guadalupe
Street, Austin, Texas 78714.
There being no witnesses registered or responding to the
chair's call for public testimony related to the charges, the
chair closed public testimony.
With no other business to come before the committee, the chair
recessed the Senate Interim Committee on Health and Human
Services at 12:10 p.m., subject to the call of the chair.
____________________________
Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair
______________________________
Pam Crowley, Committee Clerk