Sec. 501.146. MANAGED HEALTH CARE PLAN

(a) The committee shall develop a managed health care plan for all persons confined by the department that includes:

(1) the establishment of a managed health care provider network of physicians and hospitals that will serve the department as the exclusive health care provider for persons confined in institutions operated by the department;

(2) cost containment studies;

(3) care case management and utilization management studies performed for the department; and

(4) concerning the establishment of criteria for hospitals, home health providers, or hospice providers, a provision requiring the managed health care plan to accept certification by the Medicare program under Title XVIII, Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1395 et seq.), and its subsequent amendments, as an alternative to accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

(b) To implement the managed health care plan, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, for employees who are entitled to retain salary and benefits applicable to employees of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under Section 9.01, Chapter 238, Acts of the 73rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1993, may administer, offer, and report through their payroll systems participation by those employees in the Texas employees group benefits program and the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1190, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, Sec. 10A.514, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.