Texas Health and Safety Code - HEALTH & SAFETY § 241.183. Rules

(1) establishing the levels of care for neonatal and maternal care to be assigned to hospitals;

(2) prescribing criteria for designating levels of neonatal and maternal care, respectively, including specifying the minimum requirements to qualify for each level designation;

(3) establishing a process for the assignment of levels of care to a hospital for neonatal and maternal care, respectively;

(4) establishing a process for amending the level of care designation requirements, including a process for assisting facilities in implementing any changes made necessary by the amendments;

(5) dividing the state into neonatal and maternal care regions;

(6) facilitating transfer agreements through regional coordination;

(7) requiring payment, other than quality or outcome-based funding, to be based on services provided by the facility, regardless of the hospital's level of care designation;

(8) prohibiting the denial of a neonatal or maternal level of care designation to a hospital that meets the minimum requirements for that level of care designation;

(9) establishing a process through which a hospital may obtain a limited follow-up survey by an independent third party to appeal the level of care designation assigned to the hospital;

(10) permitting a hospital to satisfy any requirement for a Level I or II level of care designation that relates to an obstetrics or gynecological physician by:

(11) clarifying that, regardless of a hospital's level of care designation, a health care provider at a designated facility or hospital may provide the full range of health care services:

(12) requiring the department to provide to each hospital that receives a level of care designation a written explanation of the basis for the designation, including, as applicable, specific reasons that prevented the hospital from receiving a higher level of care designation.