PCIP is a health coverage option for patients who have been uninsured for six months or more due to a preexist- ing condition. Enrollees have a choice of three plan options: Standard Plan, Ex- tended Plan, or the HSA Plan. Each plan has different premium costs, calendar year deductibles, prescription deduct- ibles, and prescription copays. The plans:


• Cover a broad range of health ben- efits, including primary and specialty care, hospital care, and prescription drugs;


Deaths


Billie L. Aronoff, MD, 97; Dallas; Baylor College of Medicine, Dallas, 1938; died May 28, 2011.


Ravindra S. Arora, MD, 75; Pasadena; Sawai Man Singh Medical Col- lege, Jaipur, India, 1960; died April 8, 2011.


Charles R. Cain, MD, 82; Dallas; The University of Texas Southwest- ern Medical School, Dallas, 1957; died May 3, 2011.


William S. Chambless, MD, 81; Dallas; University of Oklahoma Col- lege of Medicine, 1959; died June 19, 2011.


Michael L. Gidcomb, MD, 65; Dallas; University of Arkansas College of Medicine, 1971; died June 3, 2011.


William E. Grose, MD, 68; Baytown; University of Toronto, Canada, 1970; died April 26, 2011.


James D. Hefner, MD, 84; The Woodlands; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 1955; died May 14, 2011.


Jose R. Herrera Jr., MD, 87; Houston; University of El Salvador in San Salvador, 1951; died June 7, 2011.


Jerry H. Hinnant, MD, 77; Dallas; The University of Texas Southwest- ern Medical School, Dallas, 1957; died June 22, 2011.


O. Scott Hume, MD, 70; Houston; Cornell Medical College, 1966; died April 27, 2011.


8 TEXAS MEDICINE September 2011


• Do not charge a higher premium be- cause of a person’s health condition; and


• Do not base eligibility on income. The Texas Department of Insurance


(TDI) says rates for the three insurance options under the plan were reduced 23.6 percent on July 1. PCIP rates are based on age, but there is no age limit for coverage, TDI said, adding that the maximum annual out of-pocket cost is $5,950 for in-network and $7,000 for out-of-network care. PCIP rates are low-


er than those in the Texas Health Insur- ance Pool, which also is for patients with preexisting conditions, and there is no exclusionary period for preexisting con- ditions. Complete coverage is available immediately. For more information, call the Texas Consumer Health Assistance Program at (855) 839-2427, or log on to www.Tex asHealthOptions.com.


Medicaid HMO expansion under way


On Sept. 1, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) began Phase I of its Medicaid HMO expan- sion, converting the Medicaid Primary Care Case Management model to the Medicaid HMO model in the 28 coun- ties contiguous to the current Medicaid HMO service delivery areas of Bexar, El Paso, Harris, Lubbock, Nueces, and Tra- vis counties. As part of the conversion, the state also will create a new service delivery area — Jefferson — consisting of 11 counties in South East Texas. A list of counties included in Phase I and health plans providing coverage in those counties is online at www.hhsc .state.tx .us/medicaid/MMC-Contiguous -Counties.pdf. HHSC proposed the Medicaid HMO expansion last summer to reduce Medic- aid costs. The Texas legislature recently approved the change as part of a multi- pronged Medicaid cost-containment ini- tiative. Officials expect Phase I to save about $35 million, and Phase II, which will convert all remaining Texas coun- ties to the HMO model in March 2012, to save an additional $385 million. Medicaid-enrolled children, pregnant


women, and low-income parents living in one of the 28 contiguous counties must select a STAR HMO, while adult Medicaid enrollees with disabilities who reside in the community must select a STAR+PLUS HMO. STAR+PLUS plans also will provide long-term care services for patients dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare (Medicare will continue to cover acute care services). Children with disabilities receiving Supplemen-


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