HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1070        FILED ON: 1/15/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1126

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Ruth B. Balser

_________________

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 to ensure affordable health connector coverage.

_______________

PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1070        FILED ON: 1/15/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1126

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 592 OF 2017-2018.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

An Act to ensure affordable health connector coverage.

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. Section 2OOO of chapter 29 of the Massachusetts General Laws is hereby amended by striking out the second paragraph, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

Section 2OOO. There shall be credited to the trust fund: (a) employer medical assistance contributions under section 189 of chapter 149; (b) all revenue from surcharges imposed under section 18 of chapter 176Q; (c) any transfers from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established in section 66 of chapter 118E; (d) revenues deposited from penalties collected under chapter 111M; and (e) any revenue from appropriations or other monies authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund. Amounts credited to the fund shall be expended without further appropriation for programs administered by the commonwealth health insurance connector authority pursuant to chapter 176Q that are designed to increase health coverage for residents of the commonwealth. A sufficient portion of money from the fund shall be designated to ensure affordable premiums and cost-sharing for enrollees with income at or below 300 per cent of the federal poverty guidelines, who are eligible for premium assistance payments and point-of-service cost-sharing subsidies pursuant to section 3 of chapter 176Q of the General Laws.  Money from the fund may be transferred to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund or any successor fund, as necessary to provide payments to acute hospitals and community health centers for reimbursable health services. Not later than January 1, the comptroller shall report an update of revenues for the current fiscal year and prepare estimates of revenues to be credited to the fund in the subsequent fiscal year. The comptroller shall file this report with the secretary of administration and finance, the secretary of health and human services, the joint committee on health care financing and the house and senate committees on ways and means. To accommodate timing discrepancies between the receipt of revenue and related expenditures, the comptroller may certify for payment amounts not to exceed the most recent estimate of revenues as certified by the secretary of administration and finance to be deposited under this section. A full accounting of revenue credited to the fund and transfers and expenditures out of the fund shall be reported at least annually to the board of the commonwealth health insurance connector authority established under section 2 of chapter 176Q. Monies remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be used solely as designated in this section; provided, however, that the comptroller shall report the amount remaining in the fund at the end of each fiscal year to the house and senate committees on ways and means.

SECTION 2. Section 3 of chapter 176Q of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the 14th paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

“(14) develop criteria for plans sold through the connector that are eligible for premium assistance payments or cost sharing subsidies, taking into consideration affordability of premiums and cost-sharing and a reasonable choice of health benefit plans in each area; provided further than an enrollee with household income that does not exceed 100 per cent of the federal poverty level shall have available to them at least two health benefit plans with no premium contribution and copayments shall not exceed the highest copayments required of enrollees in the MassHealth program with household income that does not exceed 100 per cent of the federal poverty level; provided further that enrollees with income between 100 and 150 per cent of the federal poverty guidelines shall have available to them at least one health benefit plan with no premium contribution. If the health benefit plans submitted through the Seal of Approval process pursuant to section 10 of this chapter do not permit such choice of health benefit plans at a reasonable cost to the Commonwealth, the board may seek additional participation of health benefit plans in conjunction with the Division of Insurance pursuant to section 3(b) of chapter 176J of the General Laws or take other measures to facilitate reasonable access to health benefit plans up to and including establishing contracts under subsection v of this section or seeking a waiver under subsection x of this section.