(a) The committee shall develop and approve a managed health care plan for all persons confined by the department that:
(1) specifies the types and general level of care to be provided to persons confined by the department; and
(2) ensures continued access to needed care in the correctional health care system.

(b) To implement the managed health care plan, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, for employees who are entitled to retain salary and benefits applicable to employees of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under Section 9.01, Chapter 238, Acts of the 73rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1993, may administer, offer, and report through their payroll systems participation by those employees in the Texas employees group benefits program and the Employees Retirement System of Texas.
(c) The committee shall provide expertise to the department, and may appoint subcommittees to assist the department, in developing policies and procedures for implementation of the managed health care plan.