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Henderson County backs bill to remove expiration from Northeast Healthcare Provider Participation District
Summary
County Commissioners voted unanimously to support codifying the Northeast Healthcare Provider Participation District into the Texas Health and Safety Code to remove an expiration date and preserve state funding for care of uninsured and underinsured patients.
Henderson County Commissioners on April 8 voted unanimously to approve an order supporting codification of the Northeast Healthcare Provider Participation District in the Texas Health and Safety Code, a move county and hospital officials said would allow continued access to state funds for care of uninsured and underinsured patients.
The action asks Henderson County Judge McKinney to sign an order encouraging the Texas Legislature to remove the district’s statutory expiration date of Sept. 1, 2025. The district, formed May 1, 2023, covers three counties — Lamar, Henderson and Hopkins — and was created to help hospitals recoup unreimbursed care for underinsured and uninsured residents, officials said.
Buddy Daniels, with UT Health, told the court the participation district was set up to allow the hospital and county partnership to “draw state funds to counteract the free care that we give” and that the current enabling provision, section 300A.155, includes a sunset date that would expire Sept. 1, 2025. Daniels said state legislation (identified in the meeting as State Bill 1443) sponsored in Austin would remove that expiration; the court’s order is intended to show local support for the bill.
The court record shows Ms. Monk represents Henderson County on the district’s board; she and commissioners said the program has “been a fantastic program” and helps the county and hospital recover costs tied to uninsured and underinsured care. No public opposition or amendment to the motion was recorded.
Motion and vote: Motion made by Commissioner Spivey, second by Commissioner Richardson. The motion passed unanimously.
Why it matters: County officials said codification would keep a local funding stream intact for care currently not reimbursed through conventional payers and would signal to Austin that the three-county district has local support for permanent authorization. The motion does not itself change state law; it is a local resolution supporting state legislation.
What’s next: County staff and the district board will continue to monitor the bill in the Texas Legislature and execute the court’s order if and when the judge signs it; the transcript records no follow-up deadlines or contingencies tied to the action.
