Sec. 32.026.  CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY AND NEED FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.  (a)  The executive commissioner shall promulgate rules for determining and certifying a person's eligibility and need for medical assistance.
(b)  The executive commissioner shall promulgate rules to provide for determination and certification of presumptive eligibility for any pregnant woman who applies for Medicaid and who meets the basic eligibility requirements under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1396 et seq.).
(c)  Medical assistance payments may not be made on a person's behalf until the person's eligibility and need for medical assistance have been certified in accordance with commission rules.
(d)  In adopting rules under this section, the executive commissioner shall ensure, to the extent allowed by federal law, that documentation and verification procedures used in determining and certifying the eligibility and need for medical assistance of a child under 19 years of age, including the documentation and verification procedures used to evaluate the assets and resources of the child, the child's parents, or the child's other caretaker for that purpose, if applicable, are the same as the documentation and verification procedures used to determine and certify a child's eligibility for coverage under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code, except that the documentation and verification procedures adopted in accordance with this subsection may not be more stringent than the documentation and verification procedures existing on January 1, 2001, for determination and certification of a child's eligibility for coverage under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code.
(d-1)  In adopting rules under this section, the executive commissioner shall, to the extent allowed by federal law, develop and implement an expedited process for determining eligibility for and enrollment in the medical assistance program for an active duty member of the United States armed forces, reserves, or National Guard or of the state military forces, or the spouse or dependent of that person.
(e)  The executive commissioner shall permit a recertification review of the eligibility and need for medical assistance of a child under 19 years of age to be conducted by telephone or mail instead of through a personal appearance at an office, unless the commission determines that the information needed to verify eligibility cannot be obtained in that manner.  The executive commissioner by rule may develop procedures to determine whether there is a need for a recertification review of a child described by this subsection to be conducted through a personal interview with a commission representative.  Procedures developed under this subsection shall be based on objective, risk-based factors and conditions and shall focus on a targeted group of recertification reviews for which there is a high probability that eligibility will not be recertified.
(f)  In adopting rules under this section, the executive commissioner shall ensure, to the extent allowed by federal law, that forms and procedures used in conducting a recertification review of the eligibility and need for medical assistance of a child under 19 years of age, including documentation and verification procedures, are the same as the forms and procedures used to determine and certify a child's renewal of coverage under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code.
(g)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the commission may use information obtained from a third party to verify the assets and resources of a person for purposes of determining the person's eligibility and need for medical assistance to the extent that verification is applicable under federal law.  Third-party information includes information obtained from:
(1)  a consumer reporting agency, as defined by Section 20.01, Business & Commerce Code;
(2)  an appraisal district; or
(3)  the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles vehicle registration record database.
Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2350, ch. 842, art. 1, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1979.  Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1215, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989;  Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 584, Sec. 3;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 198, Sec. 2.99(a), eff. Sept. 1, 2003;   Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 376, Sec. 3, eff. June 18, 2003;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1251, Sec. 8, eff. June 20, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1028 (H.B. 1633), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 933 (H.B. 3097), Sec. 3G.02, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 4.090, eff. April 2, 2015.