LCO No. 2087 1 of 3
General Assembly Raised Bill No. 317
February Session, 2024
LCO No. 2087
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)
AN ACT EXPANDING THE COVERED CONNECTICUT PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than sixty days 1
after the effective date of this section, the Commissioner of Social 2
Services, in consultation with the executive director of the Office of 3
Health Strategy established under section 19a-754a of the general 4
statutes, shall develop a plan for a second tier of the Covered 5
Connecticut program established pursuant to section 19a-754c of the 6
general statutes. The plan shall provide state-assisted health care 7
coverage for persons otherwise qualified for the program whose income 8
exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level but does not 9
exceed three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level. 10
(b) The plan developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may 11
include (1) reduced benefits from the Covered Connecticut program, 12
provided such benefits are in accordance with the requirements of the 13
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, as amended 14
by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, P.L. 111-152, as 15
both may be amended from time to time, and regulations adopted 16 Raised Bill No. 317
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thereunder, and (2) income-based copayments by enrollees. 17
(c) The Commissioner of Social Services shall submit the plan 18
developed in accordance with this section to the joint standing 19
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 20
relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, human 21
services and insurance. Not later than thirty days after the date of their 22
receipt of such plan, the joint standing committees shall hold a public 23
hearing on the plan. At the conclusion of a public hearing held in 24
accordance with the provisions of this section, the joint standing 25
committees shall advise the commissioner of their approval, denial or 26
modifications, if any, of the commissioner's plan. If the joint standing 27
committees advise the commissioner of their denial of the plan, the 28
commissioner shall not implement the plan. If such committees do not 29
concur, the committee chairpersons shall appoint a committee of 30
conference which shall be composed of three members from each joint 31
standing committee. At least one member appointed from each joint 32
standing committee shall be a member of the minority party. The report 33
of the committee of conference shall be made to each joint standing 34
committee, which shall vote to accept or reject the report. The report of 35
the committee of conference may not be amended. If a joint standing 36
committee rejects the report of the committee of conference, that joint 37
standing committee shall notify the commissioner of the rejection and 38
the commissioner's plan shall be deemed approved. If the joint standing 39
committees accept the report, the committee having cognizance of 40
matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies 41
shall advise the commissioner of their approval, denial or modifications, 42
if any, of the commissioner's plan. If the joint standing committees do 43
not so advise the commissioner during the thirty-day period, the plan 44
shall be deemed denied. Any implementation of the plan developed 45
pursuant to this section shall be in accordance with the approval or 46
modifications, if any, of the joint standing committees of the General 47
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and 48
the budgets of state agencies, human services and insurance. 49
(d) To the extent permissible under federal law, the commissioner 50 Raised Bill No. 317
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may seek approval of a Medicaid waiver in accordance with section 17b-51
8 of the general statutes to obtain federal financial participation for the 52
plan developed pursuant to this section. 53
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Statement of Purpose:
To establish a second tier of the Covered Connecticut program to
provide health care benefits at a reduced cost to persons whose income
does not exceed three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level.
[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.]