LCO No. 4429 1 of 3 General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1077 January Session, 2023 LCO No. 4429 Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH Introduced by: (PH) AN ACT CONCERNING THE ACCEPTANCE BY PHYSICIANS OF PATIENTS WHO ARE MEDICAID RECIPIENTS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a 1 working group to evaluate existing barriers to physicians accepting as a 2 patient a person who is a Medicaid recipient and recommend methods 3 to eliminating such barriers. 4 (b) The working group shall consist of the following members: 5 (1) A representative of a medical society in the state; 6 (2) The Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's 7 designee; 8 (3) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, or the 9 executive director's designee; 10 (4) The Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's 11 designee; and 12 Raised Bill No. 1077 LCO No. 4429 2 of 3 (5) The Insurance Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee. 13 (c) The Commissioner of Social Services shall schedule the first 14 meeting of the working group, which shall be held not later than sixty 15 days after the effective date of this section. 16 (d) The members of the working group shall elect a chairperson from 17 among the members of the working group. 18 (e) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 19 General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human 20 services shall serve as administrative staff of the working group. 21 (f) Not later than January 1, 2024, the working group shall submit a 22 report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing 23 committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 24 relating to human services, insurance and public health, in accordance 25 with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. The working 26 group shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or January 27 1, 2024, whichever is later. 28 Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2023) A physician licensed pursuant 29 to chapter 370 of the general statutes who in good faith, and without 30 gross negligence or wilful or wanton misconduct, provides health care 31 services to a patient who is a Medicaid recipient shall be immune from 32 civil and criminal liability, and from any action for suspension, 33 revocation or surrender of the physician's professional license, that 34 arises from or relates to the physician's provision of health care services 35 to such patient. 36 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: Section 1 from passage New section Sec. 2 October 1, 2023 New section Raised Bill No. 1077 LCO No. 4429 3 of 3 Statement of Purpose: To increase the number of physicians who treat patients who are Medicaid recipients. [Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]