Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01004 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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7	5		General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1004
8	6		January Session, 2019
9	7		LCO No. 5179
10	8
11	9
12		-	Referred to Committee on LABOR AND PUBLIC
13		-	EMPLOYEES
	10	+	Referred to Committee on LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
14	11
15	12
16	13		Introduced by:
17	14		(LAB)
	15	+
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19	17
20	18
21	19		AN ACT CONCERNING PU BLIC INSURANCE OPTIONS FO R SMALL
22	20		BUSINESS EMPLOYEES.
23	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
24	22		Assembly convened:
25	23
26	24		Section 1. Section 5-259 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
27	25		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 2
28	26		(a) The Comptroller, with the approval of the Attorney General and 3
29	27		of the Insurance Commissioner, shall arrange and procure a group 4
30	28		hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan or plans for 5
31	29		(1) state employees, (2) members of the General Assembly who elect 6
32	30		coverage under such plan or plans, (3) participants in an alternate 7
33	31		retirement program who meet the service requirements of section 5-8
34	32		162 or subsection (a) of section 5-166, (4) anyone receiving benefits 9
35	33		under section 5-144 or from any state-sponsored retirement system, 10
36	34		except the teachers' retirement system and the municipal employees 11
37	35		retirement system, (5) judges of probate and Probate Court employees, 12
38	36		(6) the surviving spouse, and any dependent children of a state police 13
39	37		officer, a member of an organized local police department, a firefighter 14
40		-	or a constable who performs criminal law enforcement duties who dies 15 Raised Bill No. 1004
	38	+	or a constable who performs criminal law enforcement duties who dies 15
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 1004
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46	44
47	45		before, on or after June 26, 2003, as the result of injuries received while 16
48	46		acting within the scope of such officer's or firefighter's or constable's 17
49	47		employment and not as the result of illness or natural causes, and 18
50	48		whose surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise 19
51	49		eligible for a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance 20
52	50		plan. Coverage for a dependent child pursuant to this subdivision shall 21
53	51		terminate no earlier than the policy anniversary date on or after 22
54	52		whichever of the following occurs first, the date on which the child: 23
55	53		Becomes covered under a group health plan through the dependent's 24
56	54		own employment; or attains the age of twenty-six, (7) employees of the 25
57	55		Capital Region Development Authority established by section 32-601, 26
58	56		and (8) the surviving spouse and dependent children of any employee 27
59	57		of a municipality who dies on or after October 1, 2000, as the result of 28
60	58		injuries received while acting within the scope of such employee's 29
61	59		employment and not as the result of illness or natural causes, and 30
62	60		whose surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise 31
63	61		eligible for a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance 32
64	62		plan. For purposes of this subdivision, "employee" means any regular 33
65	63		employee or elective officer receiving pay from a municipality, 34
66	64		"municipality" means any town, city, borough, school district, taxing 35
67	65		district, fire district, district department of health, probate district, 36
68	66		housing authority, regional work force development board established 37
69	67		under section 31-3k, flood commission or authority established by 38
70	68		special act or regional council of governments. For purposes of 39
71	69		subdivision (6) of this subsection, "firefighter" means any person who 40
72	70		is regularly employed and paid by any municipality for the purpose of 41
73	71		performing firefighting duties for a municipality on average of not less 42
74	72		than thirty-five hours per week. The minimum benefits to be provided 43
75	73		by such plan or plans shall be substantially equal in value to the 44
76	74		benefits that each such employee or member of the General Assembly 45
77	75		could secure in such plan or plans on an individual basis on the 46
78	76		preceding first day of July. The state shall pay for each such employee 47
79	77		and each member of the General Assembly covered by such plan or 48
80	78		plans the portion of the premium charged for such member's or 49
81		-	~~employee's individual coverage and seventy per cent of the additional 50~~ Raised Bill No. 1004
	79	+	Raised Bill No. 1004
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	85	+	employee's individual coverage and seventy per cent of the additional 50
88	86		cost of the form of coverage and such amount shall be credited to the 51
89	87		total premiums owed by such employee or member of the General 52
90	88		Assembly for the form of such member's or employee's coverage under 53
91	89		such plan or plans. On and after January 1, 1989, the state shall pay for 54
92	90		anyone receiving benefits from any such state-sponsored retirement 55
93	91		system one hundred per cent of the portion of the premium charged 56
94	92		for such member's or employee's individual coverage and one 57
95	93		hundred per cent of any additional cost for the form of coverage. The 58
96	94		balance of any premiums payable by an individual employee or by a 59
97	95		member of the General Assembly for the form of coverage shall be 60
98	96		deducted from the payroll by the State Comptroller. The total 61
99	97		premiums payable shall be remitted by the Comptroller to the 62
100	98		insurance company or companies or nonprofit organization or 63
101	99		organizations providing the coverage. The amount of the state's 64
102	100		contribution per employee for a health maintenance organization 65
103	101		option shall be equal, in terms of dollars and cents, to the largest 66
104	102		amount of the contribution per employee paid for any other option 67
105	103		that is available to all eligible state employees included in the health 68
106	104		benefits plan, but shall not be required to exceed the amount of the 69
107	105		health maintenance organization premium. 70
108	106		(b) The insurance coverage procured under subsection (a) of this 71
109	107		section for active state employees, employees of the Connecticut 72
110	108		Institute for Municipal Studies, anyone receiving benefits from any 73
111	109		such state-sponsored retirement system and members of the General 74
112	110		Assembly, who are over sixty-five years of age, may be modified to 75
113	111		reflect benefits available to such employees or members pursuant to 76
114	112		Social Security and medical benefits programs administered by the 77
115	113		federal government, provided any payments required to secure such 78
116	114		benefits administered by the federal government shall be paid by the 79
117	115		Comptroller either directly to the employee or members or to the 80
118	116		agency of the federal government authorized to collect such payments. 81
119	117		(c) On October 1, 1972, the Comptroller shall continue to afford 82
120		-	~~payroll deduction services for employees participating in existing 83~~ Raised Bill No. 1004
	118	+	Raised Bill No. 1004
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	124	+	payroll deduction services for employees participating in existing 83
127	125		authorized plans covering state employees until such time as the 84
128	126		employee elects in writing to be covered by the plan authorized by 85
129	127		subsection (a) of this section. 86
130	128		(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 87
131	129		the state shall pay for a member of any such state-sponsored 88
132	130		retirement system, or a participant in an alternate retirement program 89
133	131		who meets the service requirements of section 5-162 or subsection (a) 90
134	132		of section 5-166, and who begins receiving benefits from such system 91
135	133		or program on or after November 1, 1989, eighty per cent of the 92
136	134		portion of the premium charged for his individual coverage and eighty 93
137	135		per cent of any additional cost for his form of coverage. Upon the 94
138	136		death of any such member, any surviving spouse of such member who 95
139	137		begins receiving benefits from such system shall be eligible for 96
140	138		coverage under this section and the state shall pay for any such spouse 97
141	139		eighty per cent of the portion of the premium charged for his 98
142	140		individual coverage and eighty per cent of any additional cost for his 99
143	141		form of coverage. 100
144	142		(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 101
145	143		vending stand operators eligible for membership in the state 102
146	144		employees retirement system pursuant to section 5-175a shall be 103
147	145		eligible for coverage under the group hospitalization and medical and 104
148	146		surgical insurance plans procured under this section, provided the cost 105
149	147		for such operators' insurance coverage shall be paid by the Department 106
150	148		of Rehabilitation Services from vending machine income pursuant to 107
151	149		section 10-303. 108
152	150		(f) The Comptroller, with the approval of the Attorney General and 109
153	151		of the Insurance Commissioner, shall arrange and procure a group 110
154	152		hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan or plans for 111
155	153		any person who adopts a child from the state foster care system, any 112
156	154		person who has been a foster parent for the Department of Children 113
157	155		and Families for six months or more, and any dependent of such 114
158		-	adoptive parent or foster parent who elects coverage under such plan 115
159		-	or plans. The Comptroller may also arrange for inclusion of such 116 Raised Bill No. 1004
	156	+	Raised Bill No. 1004
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	162	+	adoptive parent or foster parent who elects coverage under such plan 115
	163	+	or plans. The Comptroller may also arrange for inclusion of such 116
166	164		person and any such dependent in an existing group hospitalization 117
167	165		and medical and surgical insurance plan offered by the state. Any 118
168	166		adoptive parent or foster parent and any dependent who elects 119
169	167		coverage shall pay one hundred per cent of the premium charged for 120
170	168		such coverage directly to the insurer, provided such adoptive parent or 121
171	169		foster parent and all such dependents shall be included in such group 122
172	170		hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan. A person and 123
173	171		his dependents electing coverage pursuant to this subsection shall be 124
174	172		eligible for such coverage until no longer an adoptive parent or a foster 125
175	173		parent. An adoptive parent shall be eligible for such coverage until the 126
176	174		coverage anniversary date on or after whichever of the following 127
177	175		occurs first, the date on which the child: Becomes covered under a 128
178	176		group health plan through the dependent's own employment; or 129
179	177		attains the age of twenty-six. As used in this section "dependent" 130
180	178		means a spouse or natural or adopted child if such child is wholly or 131
181	179		partially dependent for support upon the adoptive parent or foster 132
182	180		parent. 133
183	181		(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 134
184	182		the Probate Court Administration Fund established in accordance with 135
185	183		section 45a-82, shall pay for each probate judge and each probate court 136
186	184		employee not more than one hundred per cent of the portion of the 137
187	185		premium charged for the judge's or employee's individual coverage 138
188	186		and not more than fifty per cent of any additional cost for the judge's 139
189	187		or employee's form of coverage. The remainder of the premium for 140
190	188		such coverage shall be paid by the probate judge or probate court 141
191	189		employee to the State Treasurer. Payment shall be credited by the State 142
192	190		Treasurer to the fund established by section 45a-82. The total 143
193	191		premiums payable shall be remitted by the Probate Court 144
194	192		Administrator directly to the insurance company or companies or 145
195	193		nonprofit organization or organizations providing the coverage. The 146
196	194		Probate Court Administrator shall issue regulations governing group 147
197		-	hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance pursuant to 148
198		-	subsection (b) of section 45a-77. 149 Raised Bill No. 1004
	195	+	Raised Bill No. 1004
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	201	+	hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance pursuant to 148
	202	+	subsection (b) of section 45a-77. 149
205	203		(h) For the purpose of subsection (g) of this section, "probate judge" 150
206	204		or "judge" means a duly elected probate judge who works in such 151
207	205		judge's capacity as a probate judge at least twenty hours per week, on 152
208	206		average, on a quarterly basis and certifies to that fact on forms 153
209	207		provided by and filed with the Probate Court Administrator, on or 154
210	208		before the fifteenth day of April, July, October and January, for the 155
211	209		preceding calendar quarter; and "probate court employee" or 156
212	210		"employee" means a person employed by a probate court for at least 157
213	211		twenty hours per week. 158
214	212		(i) (1) The Comptroller may provide for coverage of employees of 159
215	213		municipalities, nonprofit corporations, community action agencies 160
216	214		[and small employers] and individuals eligible for a health coverage 161
217	215		tax credit, retired members or members of an association for personal 162
218	216		care assistants under the plan or plans procured under subsection (a) 163
219	217		of this section, provided: [(1)] (A) Participation by each municipality, 164
220	218		nonprofit corporation, community action agency, [small employer,] 165
221	219		eligible individual, retired member or association for personal care 166
222	220		assistants shall be on a voluntary basis; [(2)] (B) where an employee 167
223	221		organization represents employees of a municipality, nonprofit 168
224	222		corporation [,] or community action agency, [or small employer,] 169
225	223		participation in a plan or plans to be procured under subsection (a) of 170
226	224		this section shall be by mutual agreement of the municipality, 171
227	225		nonprofit corporation [,] or community action agency [or small 172
228	226		employer] and the employee organization only and neither party may 173
229	227		submit the issue of participation to binding arbitration except by 174
230	228		mutual agreement if such binding arbitration is available; [(3)] (C) no 175
231	229		group of employees shall be refused entry into the plan by reason of 176
232	230		past or future health care costs or claim experience; [(4)] (D) rates paid 177
233	231		by the state for its employees under subsection (a) of this section are 178
234	232		not adversely affected by this [subsection] subdivision; [(5)] (E) 179
235	233		administrative costs to the plan or plans provided under this 180
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236	240		[subsection] subdivision shall not be paid by the state; [(6)] (F) 181
237	241		participation in the plan or plans in an amount determined by the state 182
238		-	shall be for the duration of the period of the plan or plans, or for such 183 Raised Bill No. 1004
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	242	+	shall be for the duration of the period of the plan or plans, or for such 183
245	243		other period as mutually agreed by the municipality, nonprofit 184
246	244		corporation, community action agency, [small employer,] retired 185
247	245		member or association for personal care assistants and the 186
248	246		Comptroller; and [(7)] (G) nothing in this section or section 12-202a, 187
249	247		38a-551 or 38a-556 shall be construed as requiring a participating 188
250	248		insurer or health care center to issue individual policies to individuals 189
251	249		eligible for a health coverage tax credit. The coverage provided under 190
252	250		this [section] subdivision may be referred to as the "Municipal 191
253	251		Employee Health Insurance Plan". The Comptroller may arrange and 192
254	252		procure for the employees and eligible individuals under this 193
255	253		[subsection] subdivision health benefit plans that vary from the plan or 194
256	254		plans procured under subsection (a) of this section. Notwithstanding 195
257	255		any provision of part V of chapter 700c, the coverage provided under 196
258	256		this [subsection] subdivision may be offered on either a fully 197
259	257		underwritten or risk-pooled basis at the discretion of the Comptroller. 198
260	258		For the purposes of this [subsection] subdivision, [(A)] (i) 199
261	259		"municipality" means any town, city, borough, school district, taxing 200
262	260		district, fire district, district department of health, probate district, 201
263	261		housing authority, regional work force development board established 202
264	262		under section 31-3k, regional emergency telecommunications center, 203
265	263		tourism district established under section 32-302, flood commission or 204
266	264		authority established by special act, regional council of governments, 205
267	265		transit district formed under chapter 103a, or the Children's Center 206
268	266		established by number 571 of the public acts of 1969; [(B)] (ii) 207
269	267		"nonprofit corporation" means [(i)] (I) a nonprofit corporation 208
270	268		organized under 26 USC 501 that is not a small employer and has a 209
271	269		contract with the state or receives a portion of its funding from a 210
272	270		municipality, the state or the federal government, or [(ii)] (II) an 211
273	271		organization that is not a small employer and is tax exempt pursuant 212
274	272		to 26 USC 501(c)(5); [(C)] (iii) "community action agency" means a 213
275	273		community action agency, as defined in section 17b-885; [(D)] (iv) 214
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276	280		"small employer" means a small employer, as defined in section 38a-215
277	281		564; [(E)] (v) "eligible individuals" or "individuals eligible for a health 216
278	282		coverage tax credit" means individuals who are eligible for the credit 217
279		-	for health insurance costs under Section 35 of the Internal Revenue 218 Raised Bill No. 1004
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	283	+	for health insurance costs under Section 35 of the Internal Revenue 218
286	284		Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code 219
287	285		of the United States, as from time to time amended, in accordance with 220
288	286		the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; [(F)] (vi) "association for 221
289	287		personal care assistants" means an organization composed of personal 222
290	288		care attendants who are employed by recipients of service [(i)] (I) 223
291	289		under the home-care program for the elderly under section 17b-342, 224
292	290		[(ii)] (II) under the personal care assistance program under section 17b-225
293	291		605a, [(iii)] (III) in an independent living center pursuant to sections 226
294	292		17b-613 to 17b-615, inclusive, or [(iv)] (IV) under the program for 227
295	293		individuals with acquired brain injury as described in section 17b-228
296	294		260a; and [(G)] (vii) "retired members" means individuals eligible for a 229
297	295		retirement benefit from the Connecticut municipal employees' 230
298	296		retirement system. 231
299	297		(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 232
300	298		the Comptroller shall provide for coverage of employees of small 233
301	299		employers, and dependents of such employees, under the group 234
302	300		hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan or plans 235
303	301		procured under said subsection, provided: (A) Participation by each 236
304	302		small employer and employee shall be on a voluntary basis; (B) where 237
305	303		an employee organization represents employees of a small employer, 238
306	304		participation in such plan or plans to be procured under said 239
307	305		subsection shall be by mutual agreement of the small employer and 240
308	306		the employee organization only and neither party may submit the 241
309	307		issue of participation to binding arbitration except by mutual 242
310	308		agreement if such binding arbitration is available; (C) no group of 243
311	309		employees shall be refused entry into such plan or plans by reason of 244
312	310		past or future health care costs or claim experience; (D) rates paid by 245
313	311		the state for its employees under said subsection are not adversely 246
314	312		affected by this subdivision; (E) administrative costs attributable to 247
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315	319		coverage provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not be paid by 248
316	320		the state; and (F) participation in such plan or plans in an amount 249
317	321		determined by the state shall be for the duration of the period of such 250
318	322		plan or plans, or for such other period as mutually agreed by the small 251
319		-	employer and the Comptroller. For the purposes of this subdivision, 252 Raised Bill No. 1004
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	323	+	employer and the Comptroller. For the purposes of this subdivision, 252
326	324		"small employer" means a small employer, as defined in section 38a-253
327	325		564, and "dependent" means a spouse or dependent child of an 254
328	326		employee unless such child has attained the age of twenty-six or is 255
329	327		covered under a group health plan through such child's own 256
330	328		employer. 257
331	329		(j) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the 258
332	330		existing rights and obligations of state employee organizations and the 259
333	331		state employer under current law and contract shall not be impaired 260
334	332		by the provisions of this section. (2) Other conditions of entry for any 261
335	333		group into the plan or plans procured under subsection (a) of this 262
336	334		section shall be determined by the Comptroller upon the 263
337	335		recommendation of a coalition committee established pursuant to 264
338	336		subsection (f) of section 5-278, except for such conditions referenced in 265
339	337		subsection (g) of this section. (3) Additional determinations by the 266
340	338		Comptroller on (A) issues generated by any group's actual or 267
341	339		contemplated participation in the plan or plans, (B) modifications to 268
342	340		the terms and conditions of any group's continued participation, (C) 269
343	341		related matters shall be made upon the recommendation of such 270
344	342		committee. (4) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a 271
345	343		municipal employer and an employee organization may upon mutual 272
346	344		agreement reopen a collective bargaining agreement for the exclusive 273
347	345		purpose of negotiating on the participation by such municipal 274
348	346		employer or employee organization in the plan or plans offered under 275
349	347		the provisions of this section. 276
350	348		(k) The Comptroller shall submit annually to the General Assembly 277
351	349		a review of the coverage of: [employees] (1) Employees of 278
352	350		municipalities, nonprofit corporations, community action agencies [, 279
353	351		small employers under subsection (i) of this section] and eligible 280
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354	358		individuals under subdivision (1) of subsection (i) of this section 281
355	359		beginning February 1, 2004; and (2) employees of small employers 282
356	360		under subdivision (2) of said subsection beginning on February 1, 283
357	361		2020. 284
358		-	(l) (1) Effective July 1, 1996, any deputies or special deputies 285 Raised Bill No. 1004
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	362	+	(l) (1) Effective July 1, 1996, any deputies or special deputies 285
365	363		appointed pursuant to section 6-37 of the general statutes, revision of 286
366	364		1958, revised to 1999, or section 6-43, shall be allowed to participate in 287
367	365		the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller pursuant to subsection 288
368	366		(a) of this section. Such participation shall be voluntary and the 289
369	367		participant shall pay the full cost of the coverage under such plan. 290
370	368		(2) Effective December 1, 2000, any state marshal shall be allowed to 291
371	369		participate in the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller pursuant 292
372	370		to subsection (a) of this section. Such participation shall be voluntary 293
373	371		and the participant shall pay the full cost of the coverage under such 294
374	372		plan. 295
375	373		(3) Effective December 1, 2000, any judicial marshal shall be allowed 296
376	374		to participate in the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller 297
377	375		pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such participation shall be 298
378	376		voluntary and the participant shall pay the full cost of the coverage 299
379	377		under such plan unless and until the judicial marshals participate in 300
380	378		the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller under this section 301
381	379		through collective bargaining negotiations pursuant to subsection (f) of 302
382	380		section 5-278. 303
383	381		(m) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the 304
384	382		Comptroller shall begin procedures to convert the group 305
385	383		hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plans set forth in 306
386	384		subsection (a) of this section, including any prescription drug plan 307
387	385		offered in connection with or in addition to such insurance plans, to 308
388	386		self-insured plans, except that any dental plan offered in connection 309
389	387		with or in addition to such self-insured plans may be fully insured. 310
390	388		(2) The Comptroller may enter into contracts with third-party 311
	389	+	Raised Bill No. 1004
	390	+
	391	+
	392	+
	393	+	LCO No. 5179 11 of 13
	394	+
391	395		administrators to provide administrative services only for the self-312
392	396		insured plans set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection. Any such 313
393	397		third-party administrator shall be required under such contract to 314
394	398		charge such third-party administrator's lowest available rate for such 315
395		-	services. 316 Raised Bill No. 1004
396		-
397		-
398		-	LCO 5179 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-01004-
399		-	R01-SB.docx }
400		-	11 of 12
401		-
	399	+	services. 316
402	400		(3) (A) (i) The Comptroller shall offer nonstate public employers the 317
403	401		option to purchase prescription drugs for their employees, employees' 318
404	402		dependents and retirees under the purchasing authority of the state 319
405	403		pursuant to section 1 of public act 09-206, subject to the provisions of 320
406	404		subparagraph (E) of this subdivision. 321
407	405		(ii) For purposes of this subdivision, "nonstate public employer" 322
408	406		means (I) a municipality or other political subdivision of the state, 323
409	407		including a board of education, quasi-public agency or public library, 324
410	408		as defined in section 11-24a, or (II) the Teachers' Retirement Board. 325
411	409		(B) The Comptroller shall establish procedures to determine (i) the 326
412	410		eligibility requirements for, (ii) the enrollment procedures for, (iii) the 327
413	411		duration of, (iv) requirements regarding payment for, and (v) the 328
414	412		procedures for withdrawal from and termination of, the purchasing of 329
415	413		prescription drugs for nonstate public employers under subparagraph 330
416	414		(A) of this subdivision. 331
417	415		(C) The Comptroller may offer to nonstate public employers that 332
418	416		choose to purchase prescription drugs pursuant to subparagraph (A) 333
419	417		of this subdivision the option to purchase stop loss coverage from an 334
420	418		insurer at a rate negotiated by the Comptroller. 335
421	419		(D) Two or more nonstate public employers may join together for 336
422	420		the purpose of purchasing prescription drugs for their employees, 337
423	421		employees' dependents and retirees. Such arrangement shall not 338
424	422		constitute a multiple employer welfare arrangement, as defined in 339
425	423		Section 3 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as 340
426	424		amended from time to time. 341
	425	+	Raised Bill No. 1004
	426	+
	427	+
	428	+
	429	+	LCO No. 5179 12 of 13
	430	+
427	431		(E) (i) The Comptroller shall offer nonstate public employers the 342
428	432		option to purchase prescription drugs through the plan set forth in the 343
429	433		State Employees' Bargaining Agent Coalition's collective bargaining 344
430	434		agreement with the state only if the Health Care Cost Containment 345
431	435		Committee, established in accordance with the ratified agreement 346
432		-	between the state and said coalition pursuant to subsection (f) of 347 Raised Bill No. 1004
433		-
434		-
435		-	LCO 5179 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-01004-
436		-	R01-SB.docx }
437		-	12 of 12
438		-
	436	+	between the state and said coalition pursuant to subsection (f) of 347
439	437		section 5-278, has indicated in writing to the Comptroller that allowing 348
440	438		such nonstate public employers such option is consistent with said 349
441	439		coalition's collective bargaining agreement. 350
442	440		(ii) Such writing shall not be required if the Comptroller establishes 351
443	441		a separate prescription drugs purchasing plan for nonstate public 352
444	442		employers. 353
445	443		(iii) Nonstate public employers that purchase prescription drugs 354
446	444		pursuant to this subdivision shall pay the full cost of their own claims 355
447	445		and prescription drugs. 356
448	446		Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 38a-556a of the general statutes is 357
449	447		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 358
450	448		October 1, 2019): 359
451	449		(b) Said association shall, in consultation with the Insurance 360
452	450		Commissioner and the Healthcare Advocate, develop, within available 361
453	451		appropriations, a web site, telephone number or other method to serve 362
454	452		as a clearinghouse for information about individual and small 363
455	453		employer health insurance policies and health care plans that are 364
456	454		available to consumers in this state, including, but not limited to, the 365
457	455		HUSKY Health program, the Municipal Employee Health Insurance 366
458	456		Plan set forth in subdivision (1) of subsection (i) of section 5-259, as 367
459	457		amended by this act, and any individual or small employer health 368
460	458		insurance policies or health care plans an insurer, health care center or 369
461	459		other entity chooses to list with the Connecticut Clearinghouse. 370
	460	+	Raised Bill No. 1004
	461	+
	462	+
	463	+
	464	+	LCO No. 5179 13 of 13
	465	+
462	466		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
463	467		sections:
464	468
465	469		Section 1 October 1, 2019 5-259
466	470		Sec. 2 October 1, 2019 38a-556a(b)
467	471
468		-	LAB Joint Favorable
	472	+	Statement of Purpose:
	473	+	To enable small businesses and small business employees to
	474	+	participate in the state employee health plan.
	475	+
	476	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
	477	+	except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
	478	+	not underlined.]
469	479