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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 - 2006
IN 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 in this act sections 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 eligible
37 for CHIP under federal title XXI may elect to participate in either the Idaho
38 children's health insurance program (CHIP Plan A) or the children's access
39 card program. Children whose family's gross income is between one hundred
40 fifty percent (150%) and one hundred eighty-five percent (185%) of the federal
41 poverty guidelines may elect to participate in either the CHIP Plan B or the
42 children'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, for a an eligible child. who is eligible for federal title XXI
19 benefits 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 all dependent eligible
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 in this act sections 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 in this act sections 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 shall contribute at least
8 fifty percent (50%) of the employee premium and at least fifty percent (50%)
9 of the combination of employee and dependent spouse contribution percentage
10 for those employees and their dependent spouses who are enrolled in the small
11 business health insurance pilot program meet 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.
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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
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