HB 54 by Thompson, S.: Increasing Benefits for Certain Medicaid Beneficiaries

HB 54 seeks to increase the personal needs allowance for Medicaid-enrolled residents of nursing facilities, and other long-term care facilities from a minimum of $60 per month to $85 per month. The federal minimum requirement for the allowance is $30, meaning Texas already allows for double that. HB 54 is estimated to cost taxpayers an additional $17.4 million through the biennium as well as be subjected to an increase in costs every year thereafter. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 54.