Texas Administrative Code
Title 26 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Part 1 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
Chapter 3 - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH OTHER STATE AGENCIES
Subchapter B - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING CONCERNING COORDINATION OF SERVICES TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Section 3.55 - Texas Department of Health (TDH)

Universal Citation: 26 TX Admin Code § 3.55

Current through Reg. 50, No. 13; March 28, 2025

(a) Financial and service responsibilities to persons with disabilities.

(1) Chronically Ill and Disabled Children's Services Bureau.
(A) The Chronically Ill and Disabled Children's Services Bureau provides diagnosis and evaluation; restorative and corrective medical treatment; speech, occupational, and physical therapy; transportation; meals and lodging; and case management through purchased services for children below the age of 21 years who meet medical, financial, and residency requirements. Persons with the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis are eligible regardless of age.

(B) The Chronically Ill and Disabled Children's Services Bureau also administers:
(i) the Hemophilia Assistance Program, which provides assistance to adult hemophilia patients (over age 21) for the purchase of blood products;

(ii) the Epilepsy Assistance Program, which provides diagnosis, treatment, and support services for persons with epilepsy, through contracts with private organizations; and

(iii) the Children's Outreach Heart Program, which provides pre-diagnostic and follow-up evaluation services for cardiovascular disorders for children in south Texas who meet financial eligibility requirements, through a contract with the Children's Heart Institute of Texas.

(C) The Chronically Ill and Disabled Children's Services Bureau also administers the Supplemental Security Income Disabled Children's Services Program (SSI-DCP).

(D) The contact for program information is the manager for field and provider relations, Chronically Ill and Disabled Children's Services Bureau, (512) 458-7355.

(E) The Chronically Ill and Disabled Children's Services Bureau has written agreements with the Texas Commission for the Blind (TCB), the Texas Rehabilitation Commission (TRC), the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Texas Youth Council, and the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS). These agreements specify that the Chronically Ill and Disabled Children's Services Bureau and the other agency which is party to the agreement must:
(i) coordinate service delivery; and

(ii) provide services only to persons who have been determined eligible for services by both parties.

(2) Supplemental Security Income Disabled Children's Program (SSI-DCP)
(A) The SSI-DCP provides case management services for all children with disabilities who are below the age of 16 and receiving SSI benefits. Services provided directly include diagnostic, counseling, and referral services; inter-agency liaison; follow-up through case management provided by medical social workers; and the purchase of services and adaptive equipment, if these services are not available through any other resource.

(B) The contact for program information is the manager for field and provider relations, Chronically Ill and Disabled Children's Services Bureau, (512) 458-7355.

(C) As the SSI-DCP program is administered by the Chronically Ill and Disabled Children's Services Bureau, inter-agency agreements are described in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

(3) Kidney Health Program.
(A) The Kidney Health Program provides assistance to Texas residents with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), as certified by a licensed nephrologist, with assistance in paying for drugs, hospitalization, medical services and supplies, and transportation. Clients are reimbursed directly for drugs and travel; reimbursement is made directly to the provider for medical services and supplies. The Kidney Health Program does not pay for services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.

(B) The contact for program information is the director of the Kidney Health Program, (512) 458-7796.

(4) Vision, hearing, and speech services (VHSS).
(A) VHSS has legal authority to establish standards and regulate screening for special senses and communication disorders, primarily vision and hearing problems, and to assure standardized performance of audiometric testing devices statewide. Legislation permits VHSS to provide services to identify individuals in need if services are not otherwise available. VHSS provides hearing aids and attendant services to medically indigent children, ages 0 through 20.

(B) The contact for VHSS program information is the director for Vision, Hearing, and Speech Services, Division of Maternal and Child Health, (512) 458-7420.

(C) VHSS and the DHS have entered into a contract for reimbursement of hearing aid services to Medicaid clients age 0 through 20. In order to carry out DHS's memorandum of understanding with the Commission for the Deaf, the VHSS developed and maintains a contract with DHS for the acquisition of interpreter services for Texas Department of Health's (TDH's) deaf and hearing-impaired patients, clients, and staff.

(5) Mandatory Medicaid services. Mandatory Medicaid services include: physician services; inpatient and outpatient hospital; laboratory and X-ray; home health care; ambulance; rural health clinic; nurse midwife; early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT) services for children up to age 21; certified pediatric nurse practitioners; certified family nurse practitioners; dentist's services; family planning; federally qualified health centers; ICF-MR dental; medical transportation; and renal dialysis services.

(6) Optional Medicaid services. Optional Medicaid services include: eyeglasses, optometric, podiatric, and chiropractic services; ambulatory surgical centers; hearing aid services; limited oral surgery; post-surgical lenses; vendor drug services; primary home care; emergency hospital services; birthing center services; certified registered nurse anesthetist's services; diagnostic and evaluation services (MR); hospice care; in-home total parenteral hyperalimentation services; in-home respiratory care services; maternity clinic services; outpatient counseling for chemical dependency; physical therapist; psychologist services; targeted case management services; mental health rehabilitation services; and services provided by Christian Science sanitoriums.

(b) Service delivery data.

(1) TDH produces several documents and reports on a department-wide basis either annually or biennially. These are:
(A) Legislative appropriations request (LAR). The LAR is published biennially and includes program needs indicators for each TDH program, program objectives, descriptions of program performance measures, the TDH budget and expenditures, and activity profiles.

(B) Texas hospital data inventory. Hospital data is collected annually, and routine and special reports are developed from the data.

(C) Bureau of Health Data and Policy Analysis: Population Projection to the year 2000. Data is available by age, sex, and race/ethnicity for each year.

(D) Bureau of Disease Control and Epidemiology: Epidemiology in Texas. This report is published annually.

(E) Texas Vital Statistics. This report is published annually.

(2) To examine these documents, contact the TDH Library, (512) 458-7559.

(3) In addition, bureaus and programs of TDH generate annual reports for their programs specifically tailored to their program needs. Additional information may be requested by contacting the Office of the Commissioner, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756, (512) 458-7375.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Texas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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