Amendment ID: S2423-12

Amendment 12

Small Group Plan Rebate

Mr. Tarr moves to amend the amendment by inserting at the end thereof the following:

SECTION _. Section 13 of chapter 176J of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:

(d) Notwithstanding this chapter or any other general or special law to the contrary, carriers may annually offer group purchasing cooperative members rewards or other incentives for participation in wellness programs sponsored by the cooperative.  The amount of such rewards shall be determined by the carrier in coordination with the provider of the wellness program, based upon the promotion and participation of the cooperative and its members in sponsored wellness programs that include, among other things, health care education and the use of available transparency tools. Any reward established pursuant to this subsection shall be submitted to the commissioner for informational purposes prior to the payment of any such reward. The requirements to qualify for such reward shall be applied equally and consistently to all cooperative members, treating all similarly situated cooperative members that have qualified for the reward in the same manner.

The Commissioner shall study the ability of cooperatives to use other incentives for wellness programs within the restrictions of state and federal rating rules and may also consider the use of an innovation waiver to pursue such flexibility.