Other Projects Focused on Quality & Efficiency

Healthcare Transformation Waiver

The transformation waiver allows Texas to expand Medicaid managed care while retaining hospital funding, providing incentive payments for health care quality improvements and directing more funding to hospitals that serve large numbers of uninsured patients. All updates related to the transformation waiver can be found on the Medicaid 1115 waiver website.

Texas Dual Eligible Integrated Care Project

This demonstration project is to achieve cost savings through integrated and improved care management for Medicaid and Medicare services for these individuals.

Choosing Wisely

Choosing Wisely is an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation. More than 60 specialty societies have now drafted lists of “Things Providers and Patients Should Question.” These lists include evidence-based recommendations that should be discussed to help make wise decisions about the most appropriate care based on a patient's individual situation.

Behavioral Health Measures

Senate Bill 58 of the 2013 Texas Legislature instructs health plans contracted with HHSC to develop a network of providers that integrate behavioral and physical health and ensure that appropriate performance and quality outcomes are measured. Senate Bill 126 of the 2013 Texas Legislature requires the Department of State Health Services to provide information on the quality of state-funded mental health and substance abuse services. DSHS created a public reporting system to fulfill this requirement.

Improving Birth Outcomes

HHSC and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) are working to improve birth outcomes. This coordinated effort builds on previous efforts, including Healthy Texas Babies and the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force.

HHSC, the Dartmouth Institute, the University of Texas School of Public Health, and the state’s external quality review organization are working on a study to improve the identification of quality and value in newborn care in Texas. The findings from this study will identify new opportunities for improvement in the quality of care at the same or lower cost.

September 14, 2016 Webinar: Lowering the Preterm Birth Rate and Reducing Infant Mortality in Tarrant County, by JPS Health Network

December 9, 2015 Webinar: Efforts to Reduce Severity of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in Texas, by DSHS

Other Public Presentations

Enhanced Medical Home

September 21, 2016 Webinar: An Enhanced Medical Home for High-Risk Chronically Ill Children: Reducing Costs While Improving Outcomes, by University of Texas Medical School at Houston

Smoking Cessation

May 20, 2016 Webinar: Using Electronic Health Records and Mobile Apps to Help Tobacco Users Connect to Quitline Services, by Dr. Shelley Karn (MP4)

Appropriate Antibiotic Use

June 16, 2014 Webinar: Antibiotic Overuse - The Scope of the Problem and Options for Improvement, by Dr. Katherine Fleming-Dutra (MP4)

For more information on these projects, email HHSC Quality