Budget Amendment ID: FY2016-S3-167

GOV 167

Public Health Benefits Expenditure Report

Mr. Keenan moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting the following two new sections:-

SECTION __. Chapter 12C of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the following new section:-

Section 23. The Center shall annually prepare a public health program beneficiary employer report. For the purposes of this section, a "public health program beneficiary" shall mean a person who receives medical assistance or medical benefits, or who receives assistance through the health safety net trust fund, under chapter 118E of the General Laws.

The report shall provide the following information for each employer of 50 or more public health program beneficiaries: (1) The name and address of the employer; (2) the number of public health program beneficiaries who are employees of the employer; (3) the number of public health program beneficiaries who are spouses or dependents of employees of the employer; (4) whether the employer offers health benefits to its employees; and (5) the cost to the Commonwealth of providing public health program benefits for their employees and enrolled dependents. The report shall not include the names of any individual public health access program beneficiaries and shall be subject to privacy standards pursuant to Public Law 104-191, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

The report shall be submitted annually on February 1 to the clerks of the house and the senate, to the joint committee on health care financing, and to the house and senate committees on ways and means.

SECTION __. Section 3 of Chapter 62E of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking “and” immediately preceding “(3) for purposes of administering the tax laws and the child support enforcement program of the commonwealth” and inserting after “(3) for purposes of administering the tax laws and the child support enforcement program of the commonwealth” the following new subparagraph:-

(4) for the purpose of assisting the center for health information and analysis in preparing a public health program beneficiary employer report.