Budget Amendment ID: FY2025-S4-479

EHS 479

Pilot Program for small business group purchasing cooperatives

Messrs. Tarr and Moore moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section _ the following section:-

"SECTION_. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the division of insurance shall develop a 3-year pilot program to permit at least 1 but no more than 6 small business group purchasing cooperatives, as defined in section 1 of chapter 176J of the General Laws, to be considered a large employer for the purposes of accessing affordable health insurance coverage options. The total number of covered lives for all approved group purchasing cooperatives, in the aggregate, participating in this pilot program shall not exceed 85,000 covered lives. The division shall develop guidelines that shall include but not be limited to: (i) ways to reduce premiums for members of small business group purchasing cooperatives and their employees; (ii) any waiver of statutory or regulatory requirements to effectuate the pilot program; and (iii) requirements for small business group purchasing cooperative participatory wellness programming. The pilot program shall be implemented no later than 1 year from the effective date of this act.

Not later than 6 months after the conclusion of the pilot program, the division of insurance shall issue a report including but not limited to the following information: (i) the number of persons covered under this option for each year of the pilot program; (ii) the availability of coverage offered over the span of the pilot program; (iii) an analysis of impact that the pilot program has on the affordability of health coverage for the participating members and their employees and whether there is any demonstrable impact on the merged market; and (iv) recommendations regarding making the pilot program permanent."