Title: Texas Lawmakers Focus on Non-Medical Drivers of Health
Source: Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
Authors: Charles W. Mathias, Elena M. Marks, and David Shaw
In the previous legislative session, Texas passed its first law (HB 1575) that specifically identifies non-medical drivers of health (NMDOH) as a strategy for improving the health of pregnant and postpartum women and their children. Now in the current 89th session, NMDOH approaches are gaining broader application, with two main policy themes emerging from the pending bills, Medicaid coverage for non-medical needs via: (1) In Lieu of Services; and (2) doula reimbursement. This brief outlines the specific bills proposed and encourages these as meaningful steps towards improving the health of Texans more holistically.
