Bill Text: CT SB00425 | 2012 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Concerning A Basic Health Program.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-04-25 - Referred by Senate to Committee on Appropriations [SB00425 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2012-SB00425-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
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February Session, 2012 |
*_____SB00425PH____033012____* |
AN ACT CONCERNING A BASIC HEALTH PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than January 1, 2014, the Special Advisor to the Governor on Healthcare Reform, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall, within available appropriations, establish and implement a basic health program in accordance with Section 1331 of the federal Affordable Care Act. On and after January 1, 2014, all individuals under sixty-five years of age with income not exceeding two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level, and who are ineligible for medical assistance pursuant to Title XIX of the Social Security Act, and otherwise eligible for medical assistance under Section 1331 of the Affordable Care Act, shall be eligible for medical assistance under a basic health program. For purposes of this section and section 5 of this act, "Affordable Care Act" means the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, P.L. 111-152, as both may be amended from time to time, and regulations adopted thereunder.
(b) Medical assistance provided through the basic health program shall include the benefits, limits on cost-sharing and other consumer safeguards that apply to medical assistance provided in accordance with Title XIX of the Social Security Act, unless the special advisor determines that the cost of medical assistance provided to enrollees in the basic health program will exceed the federal subsidies available to the state to fund the program. If the special advisor so determines, the special advisor, in consultation with the commissioner, shall develop and submit a plan, in accordance with section 2 of this act, for the basic health program that maximizes benefits and minimizes cost-sharing, utilizing funds available from federal subsidies and not using state funds to fund the program.
(c) To the extent that federal funds received for the basic health program exceed the cost of medical assistance that would otherwise be provided to program enrollees pursuant to Title XIX of the Social Security Act, the Commissioner of Social Services, to the extent permitted under federal law, shall use the excess of such federal funds to increase reimbursement rates for providers serving enrollees receiving benefits pursuant to the basic health program. The Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with the special advisor, shall increase reimbursement rates so as to maximize access to needed health services. The Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with the special advisor, shall establish a committee charged with making recommendations to (1) keep provider rates competitive, (2) provide payment incentives that increase access to primary care offices as an alternative to emergency room care, and (3) streamline paperwork. The committee shall be comprised of representatives of the Department of Social Services, Office of Health Reform and Innovation and providers who participate in the basic health program and Medicaid.
(d) The Special Advisor to the Governor on Healthcare Reform, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall take all necessary actions to maximize federal funding and seek any necessary approvals from the federal government in connection with the establishment of a basic health program.
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than November 1, 2012, the Special Advisor to the Governor on Healthcare Reform, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall submit a plan for the establishment and implementation of a basic health program to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, human services, and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies.
(b) Not later than thirty days after the date of their receipt of such plan, the joint standing committees shall hold a public hearing. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the joint standing committees shall advise the special advisor of their approval, denial or modifications, if any, of the plan.
(c) If the joint standing committees do not concur, the committee chairpersons shall appoint a committee of conference which shall be composed of three members from each joint standing committee. At least one member appointed from each joint standing committee shall be a member of the minority party. The report of the committee of conference shall be made to each joint standing committee, which shall vote to accept or reject the report. The report of the committee of conference may not be amended. If a joint standing committee rejects the report of the committee of conference, that joint standing committee shall notify the special advisor of the rejection and the special advisor's plan shall be deemed approved. If the joint standing committees accept the report, the committee having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies shall advise the special advisor of their approval, denial or modifications, if any, of the special advisor's plan. If the joint standing committees do not so advise the special advisor during the thirty-day period, the plan shall be deemed approved. Any plan submitted to the federal government pursuant to this section shall be in accordance with the approval or modifications, if any, of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, human services, and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies.
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 17b-261 of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) Medical assistance shall be provided for any otherwise eligible person whose income, including any available support from legally liable relatives and the income of the person's spouse or dependent child, is not more than one hundred forty-three per cent, pending approval of a federal waiver applied for pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, of the benefit amount paid to a person with no income under the temporary family assistance program in the appropriate region of residence and if such person is an institutionalized individual as defined in Section 1917(c) of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 1396p(c), and has not made an assignment or transfer or other disposition of property for less than fair market value for the purpose of establishing eligibility for benefits or assistance under this section. Any such disposition shall be treated in accordance with Section 1917(c) of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 1396p(c). Any disposition of property made on behalf of an applicant or recipient or the spouse of an applicant or recipient by a guardian, conservator, person authorized to make such disposition pursuant to a power of attorney or other person so authorized by law shall be attributed to such applicant, recipient or spouse. A disposition of property ordered by a court shall be evaluated in accordance with the standards applied to any other such disposition for the purpose of determining eligibility. The commissioner shall establish the standards for eligibility for medical assistance at one hundred forty-three per cent of the benefit amount paid to a family unit of equal size with no income under the temporary family assistance program in the appropriate region of residence. Except as provided in section 17b-277, the medical assistance program shall provide coverage to persons under [the age of] nineteen years of age with family income up to one hundred eighty-five per cent of the federal poverty level without an asset limit and to persons under [the age of] nineteen years of age and their parents and needy caretaker relatives, who qualify for coverage under Section 1931 of the Social Security Act, with family income up to one hundred eighty-five per cent of the federal poverty level without an asset limit. On and after January 1, 2014, and contingent upon the implementation of a basic health program with the same benefits, limits on cost sharing and other consumer safeguards provided under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, coverage shall be provided to parents and needy caretaker relatives of persons under nineteen years of age, who qualify for coverage under Section 1931 of the Social Security Act, with family income up to one hundred thirty-three per cent of the federal poverty level without an asset limit. Such levels shall be based on the regional differences in such benefit amount, if applicable, unless such levels based on regional differences are not in conformance with federal law. Any income in excess of the applicable amounts shall be applied as may be required by said federal law, and assistance shall be granted for the balance of the cost of authorized medical assistance. The Commissioner of Social Services shall provide applicants for assistance under this section, at the time of application, with a written statement advising them of (1) the effect of an assignment or transfer or other disposition of property on eligibility for benefits or assistance, (2) the effect that having income that exceeds the limits prescribed in this subsection will have with respect to program eligibility, and (3) the availability of, and eligibility for, services provided by the Nurturing Families Network established pursuant to section 17b-751b. Persons who are determined ineligible for assistance pursuant to this section shall be provided a written statement notifying such persons of their ineligibility and advising such persons of the availability of HUSKY Plan, Part B health insurance benefits.
Sec. 4. (Effective from passage) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2014, and June 30, 2015, fifty per cent of any savings from reducing coverage for HUSKY Plan, Part A parents and needy caretaker relatives to those with family incomes not greater than one hundred thirty-three per cent of the federal poverty level shall be used to increase reimbursement rates for providers serving individuals receiving benefits pursuant to the basic health program. Reimbursement rates shall be increased pursuant to this section so as to maximize individuals' access to needed health care services.
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective from passage) There is established an account to be known as the "basic health program account", which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account shall be expended by the Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with the Special Advisor to the Governor on Healthcare Reform, for the purposes of operating a basic health plan in accordance with Section 1331 of the Affordable Care Act.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
from passage |
New section |
Sec. 2 |
from passage |
New section |
Sec. 3 |
from passage |
17b-261(a) |
Sec. 4 |
from passage |
New section |
Sec. 5 |
from passage |
New section |
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In section 1(c), in the first sentence, "commissioner" was changed to "Commissioner of Social Services" for consistency of reference in said section; in the second sentence of section 2(b), "a public hearing" was changed to "the public hearing," for clarity; and in the last sentence of section 5, "in conformance with" was changed to "in accordance with" for accuracy and statutory consistency.
PH |
Joint Favorable Subst. |