View Bill Status
View Bill Text
View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact
S1417............................................................by FINANCE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE - CHILDREN - Amends existing law relating to medical assistance to revise the definition of "eligible child"; to reference eligible children for purposes of the children's access card program; and to revise provisions applicable to the participation of small employers in the small business health insurance pilot program. 02/24 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing 02/27 Rpt prt - to Health/Wel 03/01 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg 03/02 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg 03/06 3rd rdg - PASSED - 33-0-2 AYES -- Andreason, Brandt, Broadsword, Bunderson, Burkett, Burtenshaw, Cameron, Coiner, Compton, Corder, Darrington, Davis, Fulcher, Gannon, Geddes, Goedde, Hill, Jorgenson, Kelly, Keough, Langhorst, Little, Lodge, Marley, McGee, McKenzie, Pearce, Richardson, Schroeder, Stegner, Sweet, Werk, Williams NAYS -- None Absent and excused -- Malepeai, Stennett Floor Sponsor - Cameron Title apvd - to House 03/07 House intro - 1st rdg - to Health/Wel 03/17 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg 03/20 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg 03/21 3rd rdg - PASSED - 46-21-3 AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barraclough, Bastian, Bedke, Bell, Bilbao, Black, Block, Boe, Bolz, Brackett, Bradford, Cannon, Chadderdon, Collins, Deal, Edmunson, Eskridge, Field(18), Field(23), Garrett, Henbest, Henderson, Jaquet, LeFavour, Martinez, Miller, Mitchell, Nielsen, Pasley-Stuart, Pence, Ring, Ringo, Rusche, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd(2), Shirley, Skippen, Smith(30), Smith(24), Snodgrass, Stevenson, Trail, Wills NAYS -- Barrett, Bayer, Clark, Crow, Denney, Ellsworth, Hart, Harwood, Kemp, Lake, Loertscher, Mathews, McGeachin, McKague, Moyle, Nonini, Raybould, Roberts, Rydalch, Sali, Shepherd(8) Absent and excused -- Smylie, Wood, Mr. Speaker Floor Sponsor - Henbest Title apvd - to Senate 03/22 To enrol 03/23 Rpt enrol - Pres signed - Sp signed 03/24 To Governor 03/30 Governor signed Session Law Chapter 270 Effective: 07/01/06
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]] Fifty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2006IN THE SENATE SENATE BILL NO. 1417 BY FINANCE COMMITTEE 1 AN ACT 2 RELATING TO MEDICAL ASSISTANCE; AMENDING SECTION 56-238, IDAHO CODE, TO PRO- 3 VIDE CODE REFERENCES AND TO REVISE THE DEFINITION FOR "ELIGIBLE CHILD"; 4 AMENDING SECTION 56-240, IDAHO CODE, TO REFERENCE ELIGIBLE CHILDREN FOR 5 PURPOSES OF THE CHILDREN'S ACCESS CARD PROGRAM AND TO PROVIDE CODE REFER- 6 ENCES; AND AMENDING SECTION 56-241, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE CODE REFERENCES 7 AND TO REVISE PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO THE PARTICIPATION OF SMALL EMPLOY- 8 ERS IN THE SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH INSURANCE PILOT PROGRAM. 9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 10 SECTION 1. That Section 56-238, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby 11 amended to read as follows: 12 56-238. DEFINITIONS. As used inthis actsections 56-236 through 56-242, 13 Idaho Code: 14 (1) "Children's access card program" means the program created in section 15 56-240, Idaho Code. 16 (2) "CHIP Plan A" means the existing Idaho children's health insurance 17 program for children eligible under federal title XXI whose families' gross 18 incomes do not exceed one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the federal poverty 19 guidelines. 20 (3) "CHIP Plan B" means the program created in section 56-239, Idaho 21 Code. 22 (4) "Department" means the department of health and welfare. 23 (5) "Director" means the director of the department of health and wel- 24 fare. 25 (6) "Eligible adult" means a person: 26 (a) Over eighteen (18) years of age living in Idaho; 27 (b) Whose family's gross income is equal to or less than one hundred 28 eighty-five percent (185%) of the federal poverty guidelines; and 29 (c) Who is employed full time by a small employer, meaning an employer 30 with two (2) to fifty (50) employees and as such term is defined in sec- 31 tion 41-4703, Idaho Code, and who is eligible for health insurance cover- 32 age under a small employer health benefit plan regulated under chapter 47, 33 title 41, Idaho Code, or the dependent spouse of such employee. 34 (7) "Eligible child" means a child under nineteen (19) years of age liv- 35 ing in Idaho whose family's gross income falls within federal poverty guide- 36 lines for Medicaid, CHIP Plan A or CHIP Plan B.Children currently eligible37for CHIP under federal title XXI may elect to participate in either the Idaho38children's health insurance program (CHIP Plan A) or the children's access39card program. Children whose family's gross income is between one hundred40fifty percent (150%) and one hundred eighty-five percent (185%) of the federal41poverty guidelines may elect to participate in either the CHIP Plan B or the42children's access card program.43 (8) "Health benefit plan" means any hospital or medical policy or certif- 2 1 icate, any subscriber contract provided by a hospital or professional service 2 corporation, or managed care organization subscriber contract. Health benefit 3 plan does not include policies or certificates of insurance for specific dis- 4 ease, hospital confinement indemnity, accident-only, credit, dental, vision, 5 medicare supplement, long-term care, or disability income insurance, student 6 health benefits only coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance, 7 worker's compensation or similar insurance, automobile medical payment insur- 8 ance or nonrenewable short-term coverage issued for a period of twelve (12) 9 months or less. 10 (9) "Small business health insurance pilot program" means the program 11 created in section 56-241, Idaho Code. 12 SECTION 2. That Section 56-240, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby 13 amended to read as follows: 14 56-240. CHILDREN'S ACCESS CARD PROGRAM. (1) There is hereby created in 15 the department a children's access card program that shall, through the Idaho 16 health insurance access card program, make payments to the insurance company 17 providing coverage under a health benefit plan, as defined in section 56-238, 18 Idaho Code, foraan eligible child.who is eligible for federal title XXI19benefits under CHIP Plan A or CHIP Plan B.In each month the insurance cover- 20 age is in effect, a one hundred dollar ($100) payment shall be applied to the 21 monthly insurance premium billed each month by the insurance company with a 22 maximum payment of three hundred dollars ($300) for alldependenteligible 23 children in the family. The director shall implement the program by adopting 24 rules recommended by the board of the Idaho high risk reinsurance pool created 25 in section 41-5502, Idaho Code. 26 (2) Participation in the children's access card program by any employer 27 shall be optional. Nothing inthis actsections 56-236 through 56-242, Idaho 28 Code, shall be construed to mandate or require that an employer participate in 29 the children's access card program. 30 (3) There is hereby created a children's access card program advisory 31 board which shall advise the Idaho high risk reinsurance pool board concerning 32 issues related to the children's access card program. The board shall consist 33 of eight (8) members, four (4) members to be appointed by the director and 34 four (4) members to be appointed by the governor. At least two (2) members of 35 the board shall be parents of children who are eligible to participate in the 36 children's access card program. 37 SECTION 3. That Section 56-241, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby 38 amended to read as follows: 39 56-241. SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH INSURANCE PILOT PROGRAM. (1) There is 40 hereby created in the department a small business health insurance pilot pro- 41 gram that shall be made available to up to one thousand (1,000) eligible 42 adults, as defined in section 56-238, Idaho Code, based on available funding. 43 The director shall implement the program by adopting rules recommended by the 44 board of the Idaho high risk reinsurance pool created in section 41-5502, 45 Idaho Code, providing for the payment of the benefit authorized in subsection 46 (2) of this section through the use of the Idaho health insurance access card. 47 (2) The small business health insurance pilot program shall, through the 48 Idaho health insurance access card program, pay to the insurance company pro- 49 viding insurance coverage through policies regulated under chapter 47, title 50 41, Idaho Code, for an adult enrolled in the small employer health insurance 51 pilot program, for each month the insurance coverage is in effect, a one hun- 3 1 dred dollar ($100) payment to be applied to the monthly insurance premium 2 billed each month by the insurance company. 3 (3) Participation in the small business health insurance pilot program by 4 any employer shall be optional. Nothing inthis actsections 56-236 through 5 56-242, Idaho Code, shall be construed to mandate or require that an employer 6 participate in the pilot program. Small employers who choose to participate in 7 the small business health insurance pilot program shallcontribute at least8fifty percent (50%) of the employee premium and at least fifty percent (50%)9of the combination of employee and dependent spouse contribution percentage10for those employees and their dependent spouses who are enrolled in the small11business health insurance pilot programmeet insurance carriers' contribution 12 and participation guidelines. 13 (4) There is hereby created a small business health insurance advisory 14 board which shall advise the Idaho high risk reinsurance pool board concerning 15 issues related to the small business health insurance pilot program. The board 16 shall consist of eight (8) members, four (4) members to be appointed by the 17 director and four (4) members to be appointed by the governor. At least four 18 (4) members of the board shall be representatives of small businesses, meaning 19 those with two (2) to fifty (50) employees, that offer employee health benefit 20 plans regulated under chapter 47, title 41, Idaho Code.
REPRINT REPRINT REPRINT REPRINT STATEMENT OF PURPOSE RS 15827 The purpose of this bill is to remove barriers to enrollment in the Idaho Access Card program. The bill will make two changes: 1) Current law allows children whose family incomes are between 150% and 185% of the federal poverty guidelines to choose between direct coverage under CHIP B and the Access Card. Current law also allows children whose family incomes are between 133% and 185% of the federal poverty guidelines to choose between direct coverage under CHIP A and the Access Card. This bill would allow children who are Medicaid eligible to qualify for the Access Card program. These children have family incomes between 0% and either 100% or 133% of federal poverty, depending on the age of the child. 2) Current law requires certain levels of employer contribution to employee and dependent premiums in the small business health insurance pilot program for adults. This bill will allow small business participation in the pilot program as long as employers meet insurance carrier requirements for employer contributions to premiums. FISCAL IMPACT This legislation will result in savings to the General Fund of $135,000 in fiscal year 2007 resulting from greater enrollment in the Access Card program, which has a lower per member per month cost than direct coverage through Medicaid, CHIP A or CHIP B. In addition, new health insurance coverage achieved through enrollment in the Access Card program may reduce costs of county indigent programs, the state catastrophic fund, and provided charity care and bad debt. The Access Card program is funded with excess premium tax and federal match of 80% to 20% state funds. In fiscal year 2005, $1,990,700 in dedicated premium tax funds went unspent due to low enrollment in the Access Card program, which caused the state to forfeit $7,962,800 in federal match. Contact Name: Sen. Dean Cameron, Rep. Bill Deal, Rep. Margaret Henbest Phone: 334-4735 (Sen. Cameron) Name: Kate VandenBroek, Dept. of Health and Welfare (364-1909) STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE S 1417 REPRINT REPRINT REPRINT REPRIN