Bill H.2459

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2100 FILED ON: 1/20/2011

HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2459

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act regarding municipal health insurance plans.

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PETITION OF:

Name:	District/Address:	Date Added:
Bradley H. Jones, Jr.	20th Middlesex	1/20/2011
Donald F. Humason, Jr.	4th Hampden	1/27/2011
Marc T. Lombardo	22nd Middlesex	2/2/2011
Geoff Diehl	7th Plymouth	2/2/2011
Randy Hunt	5th Barnstable	2/2/2011
F. Jay Barrows	1st Bristol	2/2/2011
Shaunna O'Connell	3rd Bristol	2/2/2011
Susan Williams Gifford	2nd Plymouth	2/2/2011
Donald H. Wong	9th Essex	2/3/2011
Todd M. Smola	1st Hampden	2/3/2011
Kevin J. Kuros	8th Worcester	2/3/2011
Ryan C. Fattman	18th Worcester	2/3/2011
Sheila C. Harrington	1st Middlesex	2/3/2011
Angelo L. D'Emilia	8th Plymouth	2/4/2011
Daniel B. Winslow	9th Norfolk	2/4/2011
Kimberly N. Ferguson	1st Worcester	2/4/2011
Matthew A. Beaton	11th Worcester	2/4/2011
Nicholas A. Boldyga	3rd Hampden	2/4/2011
Steven L. Levy	4th Middlesex	2/4/2011
David T. Vieira	3rd Barnstable	2/4/2011
Steven S. Howitt	4th Bristol	2/4/2011
George N. Peterson, Jr.	9th Worcester	1/26/2011
Bradford Hill	4th Essex	2/4/2011
Elizabeth A. Poirier	14th Bristol	1/21/2011
Viriato Manuel deMacedo	1st Plymouth	2/1/2011

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2100 FILED ON: 1/20/2011

HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2459

By Mr. Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2459) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others relative to municipal health insurance plans. Public Service.

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2509 OF 2009-2010.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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An Act regarding municipal health insurance plans.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 32B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following new section:

Section 20. Effective July 1, 2011, a governmental unit is authorized to include, as part of the health plans (HMOs, PPOs, indemnity plans) that it offers to its employees and retirees, co-payments, deductibles and tiered provider network co-payments (or other plan design features) that are no greater in dollar amount than the highest co-payments, deductibles and tiered provider network co-payments (or other plan design features) provided in any of the same class (HMOs, PPOs, indemnity plans) of health plans offered by the Group Insurance Commission pursuant to G.L. c. 32A. For purposes of this section, a “Point of Service” plan offered by a governmental unit shall be considered to fall within the PPO class.

The above authorized dollar amounts for co-payments, deductibles and tiered provider network co-payments (or other plan design features) shall be increased whenever the Group Insurance Commission increases the dollar amount of co-payments and/or deductibles and/or tiered provider network co-payments (or other plan design features) on the health plans that it offers.

A governmental unit may include in its health plans co-payments, deductibles and tiered provider network co-payments (or other plan design features) up to the above-referenced amounts without bargaining pursuant to either Chapter 150E or Section 19 of Chapter 32B concerning the decision to do so or the impact of the decision.

Nothing herein shall prohibit a governmental unit from including in its health plans higher co-payments, deductibles or tiered provider network co-payments (or other plan design features) than those authorized by the preceding paragraphs of this section; but such higher co-payments, deductibles or tiered provider network co-payments (or other plan design features) may be included only after the governmental unit has satisfied any bargaining obligations pursuant to either Chapter 150E or Section 19 of Chapter 32B.