INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTH BENEFITS COVERAGE

(a) Except as otherwise provided by the terms of a waiver authorized by Section 526.0152, money in the fund that is available to reduce the number of individuals in this state who do not have health benefits coverage or to reduce the need for uncompensated health care provided by hospitals in this state may be used for purposes relating to increasing access to health benefits coverage for individuals with low income, including: (1) providing premium payment assistance to those individuals through a premium payment assistance program developed under this section; (2) making contributions to health savings accounts for those individuals; and (3) providing other financial assistance to those individuals through alternate mechanisms established by hospitals in this state or political subdivisions of this state that meet certain commission-specified criteria. (b) The commission and the Texas Department of Insurance shall jointly develop a premium payment assistance program designed to assist individuals described by Subsection (a) in obtaining and maintaining health benefits coverage. The program may provide assistance in the form of payments for all or part of the premiums for that coverage. In developing the program, the executive commissioner shall adopt rules establishing: (1) eligibility criteria for the program; (2) the amount of premium payment assistance that will be provided under the program; (3) the process by which that assistance will be paid; and (4) the mechanism for measuring and reporting the number of individuals who obtained health insurance or other health benefits coverage as a result of the program. (c) The commission shall implement the premium payment assistance program developed under Subsection (b), subject to availability of money in the fund for that purpose.