Bill Text: NY A08475 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a small group wellness incentive pilot program to expand the prevalence of employee wellness initiatives by small businesses.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to insurance [A08475 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A08475-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         8475
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    October 9, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. CUSICK -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Insurance
       AN  ACT  to amend the insurance law, in relation to establishing a small
         group wellness incentive pilot program to  expand  the  prevalence  of
         employee wellness initiatives by small businesses
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The insurance law is amended by adding a new  article  44-A
    2  to read as follows:
    3                                 ARTICLE 44-A
    4                SMALL GROUP WELLNESS INCENTIVE PILOT PROGRAM
    5  SECTION 4450. SMALL GROUP WELLNESS INCENTIVE PILOT PROGRAM.
    6    S  4450. SMALL GROUP WELLNESS INCENTIVE PILOT PROGRAM. (A) THERE SHALL
    7  BE A SMALL GROUP WELLNESS INCENTIVE PILOT PROGRAM TO EXPAND  THE  PREVA-
    8  LENCE  OF EMPLOYEE WELLNESS INITIATIVES BY SMALL BUSINESSES. THE PROGRAM
    9  SHALL BE ADMINISTERED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE
   10  DEPARTMENT  OF HEALTH. THE PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE SUBSIDIES AND TECHNICAL
   11  ASSISTANCE FOR ELIGIBLE SMALL GROUPS TO IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE-BASED EMPLOY-
   12  EE HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS TO  IMPROVE  EMPLOYEE  HEALTH,  DECREASE
   13  EMPLOYER HEALTH COSTS, AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY.
   14    (B)  AN  ELIGIBLE SMALL GROUP SHALL BE QUALIFIED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
   15  PROGRAM IF:
   16    (1) THE ELIGIBLE SMALL GROUP IS ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL HEALTH  CARE  TAX
   17  CREDITS  UNDER  THE  FEDERAL PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT,
   18  PUB. L. 111-148;
   19    (2) THE ELIGIBLE SMALL GROUP OFFERS AN EVIDENCE-BASED, EMPLOYEE  WELL-
   20  NESS  PROGRAM, THAT MEETS CERTAIN MINIMUM CRITERIA, AS DETERMINED BY THE
   21  DEPARTMENT, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH;
   22    (3) THE ELIGIBLE SMALL GROUP MEETS CERTAIN  MINIMUM  EMPLOYEE  PARTIC-
   23  IPATION REQUIREMENTS IN THE QUALIFIED WELLNESS PROGRAM, AS DETERMINED BY
   24  THE DEPARTMENT, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD11961-01-5
       A. 8475                             2
    1    (C)  FOR  ELIGIBLE  SMALL  GROUPS  PARTICIPATING  IN  THE PROGRAM, THE
    2  DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE AN ANNUAL SUBSIDY NOT TO EXCEED FIFTEEN PERCENT
    3  OF ELIGIBLE EMPLOYER HEALTH CARE COSTS, AS CALCULATED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
    4  AGGREGATE EXPENDITURES FOR THE SUBSIDY PROGRAM  SHALL  NOT  EXCEED  FIVE
    5  MILLION  DOLLARS  IN  ANY FISCAL YEAR.  IF THE SUPERINTENDENT DETERMINES
    6  THAT FUNDS ARE INSUFFICIENT TO MEET THE PROJECTED COSTS OF ENROLLING NEW
    7  ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS, THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL IMPOSE A CAP ON  ENROLLMENT
    8  IN THE PROGRAM.
    9    (D)  THE  DEPARTMENT SHALL COORDINATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO
   10  PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,  INCLUDING  GRANT-WRITING  ASSISTANCE,  TO
   11  PARTICIPATING  ELIGIBLE  SMALL GROUPS IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE FEDERAL GRANT
   12  FUNDING PROVIDED UNDER THE FEDERAL  PATIENT  PROTECTION  AND  AFFORDABLE
   13  CARE  ACT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF WELLNESS INITIATIVES BY SMALL EMPLOY-
   14  ERS.
   15    (E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SEEK TO ENSURE THAT  ALL  NECESSARY  APPLICA-
   16  TIONS  AND  FILINGS  COORDINATE  WITH AND CONFORM TO APPROPRIATE FEDERAL
   17  GUIDELINES IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN  ON  PARTICIPATING
   18  SMALL GROUPS.
   19    (F)  THE  DEPARTMENT SHALL REPORT ANNUALLY TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPO-
   20  RARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY  ON  THE
   21  ENROLLMENT  IN  THE  SMALL BUSINESS WELLNESS INCENTIVE PILOT PROGRAM AND
   22  EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM ON EXPANDING WELLNESS INITIATIVES FOR
   23  SMALL GROUPS.
   24    (G) THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL PROMULGATE REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT  THIS
   25  ARTICLE.
   26    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.