August 6, 2026
Quick recap
The meeting focused on legislative priorities for substance use disorder services, with Duane presenting a draft package of recommendations developed by the legislative subcommittee. The recommendations included standardizing SUD outcome measures, analyzing cost per outcome, assessing the CMHS system, reducing administrative burden, reviewing rate adequacy, examining funding braiding, analyzing continuum capacity and regional gaps, creating a clear governance structure at HHSC, and improving data on transitions of care and denials. Members discussed challenges with post-treatment follow-up data, especially for transient populations, and the need for better cross-system data sharing. Updates were shared about the upcoming HHSC Summit, including registration and agenda details. Vaughan provided information on changes to dependent children's billing rates, and Sherri announced a career fair at the TAP State Conference. The group also briefly discussed concerns about the potential impact of the SAVE Act on service eligibility.

