HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3361        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1186

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

William J. Driscoll, Jr. and Christine P. Barber

_________________

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 expanding affordable coverage through ConnectorCare.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

William J. Driscoll, Jr.

7th Norfolk

1/20/2023

Christine P. Barber

34th Middlesex

1/20/2023

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

1/26/2023

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

1/26/2023

Peter Capano

11th Essex

1/27/2023

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

1/27/2023

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

1/30/2023

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

1/30/2023

Patricia A. Duffy

5th Hampden

2/2/2023

Jon Santiago

9th Suffolk

2/6/2023

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

2/8/2023

James C. Arena-DeRosa

8th Middlesex

2/17/2023

Kate Lipper-Garabedian

32nd Middlesex

2/22/2023

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

3/15/2023

Tommy Vitolo

15th Norfolk

3/15/2023

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

3/27/2023

Samantha Montaño

15th Suffolk

3/27/2023

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex

7/12/2023


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3361        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1186

By Representatives Driscoll of Milton and Barber of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1186) of William J. Driscoll, Jr., Christine P. Barber and others that the Health Insurance Connector Authority implement a 5-year pilot program to extend eligibility for premium assistance payments or point-of-service cost-sharing subsidies.  Health Care Financing.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act expanding affordable coverage through ConnectorCare.

 

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. (a) Notwithstanding clause (b) of section 3 of chapter 176Q of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the commonwealth health insurance connector authority established in section 2 of said chapter 176Q shall implement a 5-year pilot program to extend eligibility for premium assistance payments or point-of-service cost-sharing subsidies for applicants at or below 500 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

(b) Applicants participating in the pilot program that are between 300 and 500 percent of the federal poverty guidelines shall have access to a plan that meets at least 90 per cent actuarial value; provided, that the affordability standard for the pilot program shall be consistent with current practices pursuant to said section 3 of said chapter 176Q.

(c) Notwithstanding the second paragraph of section 2OOO of chapter 29 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, amounts necessary to support the 5-year pilot program established in subsection (a) shall be expended from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund established in said section 2OOO of said chapter 29.

(d) The commonwealth health insurance connector authority, in consultation with the center for health information and analysis, shall evaluate the pilot program to assess the public health, health equity, utilization and financial impacts on residents of reducing out-of-pocket costs and premium costs. The center shall collect quantitative and qualitative data at the start of the pilot program and at the end of each year of the pilot program to assess the impact on pilot program participants. Data points to be collected shall include, but not be limited to: (i) rates of unmet medical need due to cost; (ii) disparities in rates of unmet medical need due to cost; (iii) difficulties accessing care at a doctor’s office or clinic; (iv) racial and ethnic disparities in difficulties accessing care at a doctor’s office or clinic; (v) insurance coverage rates, including rates of continuous insurance coverage; (vi) racial and ethnic disparities in insurance coverage rates; (vii) visits to a doctor’s office; and (viii) racial and ethnic disparities in visits to a doctor’s office. The connector authority shall file reports of its evaluation with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on public health and the joint committee on health care financing not later than December 1, 2026 and December 1, 2029.

SECTION 2. Section 1 shall take effect on Jan 1, 2024.

SECTION 3. Section 1 shall be repealed on Dec 31, 2028.