Bill > SB504

This bill proposes to reform and address issues related to the Medicaid program in Texas. It would create an alternative program designed to ensure health benefit plan coverage to certain low-income individuals through the private marketplace, requiring a fee. The key provisions include: 1. Establishing a state Medicaid program that provides benefits under a risk-based Medicaid managed care model, with eligibility based on income, age, and other criteria. 2. Providing Medicaid sliding scale subsidies and additional cost-sharing subsidies to help low-income individuals purchase health benefit plans from authorized private insurers. 3. Reforming the delivery of long-term services and supports under Medicaid to encourage consumer direction, simplify service provision, and improve cost-effectiveness. 4. Creating a separate program to help connect certain low-income residents with health benefit plan coverage through private market solutions, subject to negotiation with federal authorities for funding flexibility. 5. Studying and implementing various incremental reforms to Medicaid, such as customized benefits packages, a dual eligible integrated care demonstration project, and changes to the estate recovery program and asset limits. The bill also establishes a Medicaid Reform Task Force to advise the state on designing the Medicaid reforms.