SECTION 87.105. Contact Information

(a) OO staff maintain a public website with its contact information and develop brochures and other materials that can be distributed to consumers and health care providers.

(b) Each HHS office that provides direct service delivery of programs or services offers a process to a consumer to submit complaints and advises the consumer how to contact OO staff if that office does not resolve the complaint to the consumer's satisfaction. These HHS programs ensure OO contact information is provided on appropriate web pages, in written materials (such as consumer handbooks and denial notices), and is available upon request in local offices. This includes communications made to a consumer by a vendor contracted to provide services on behalf of an HHS program.

(c) An HHS consumer, the consumer's LAR, or a health care provider may contact OO staff through the following methods:

(1) Toll-free phone, relating to:

(A) A consumer, call 1-877-787-8999 (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday).

(B) A consumer needing help with accessing services under a managed care plan, call 1-866-566-8989.

(C) A foster youth, call 1-844-286-0769.

(D) A consumer seeking behavioral health services, call 1-800-252-8154.

(E) An individual with IDD, call 1-800-252-8154.

(F) A resident of a nursing facility or an assisted living facility, call 1-800-252-2412.

(G) An individual who has a hearing or speech disability, call 7-1-1 or 1-800-735-2989.

(2) Toll-free fax: [phone].

(3) Mail: HHS Office of the Ombudsman, P.O. Box 13247, Austin TX 78711-3247.

(4) Online: hhs.texas.gov/ombudsman.

Source Note: The provisions of this §87.105 adopted to be effective January 10, 2019, 44 TexReg 252; amended to be effective December 21, 2022, 47 TexReg 8273