Connecticut 2024 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00317 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3		-	LCO \\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00317-R01-
4		-	SB.docx
5		-	1 of 3
	3	+	LCO No. 2087 1 of 3
6	4
7		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 317
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 317
8	6		February Session, 2024
	7	+	LCO No. 2087
9	8
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(HS)
10	15
11	16
12	17
13	18
14	19		AN ACT EXPANDING THE COVERED CONNECTICUT PROGRAM.
15	20		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
16	21		Assembly convened:
17	22
18		-	Section 1. Section 17b-312 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
19		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2
20		-	(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall seek, in accordance 3
21		-	with the provisions of section 17b-8 and in consultation with the 4
22		-	Insurance Commissioner and the Office of Health Strategy established 5
23		-	under section 19a-754a, a waiver under Section 1115 of the Social 6
24		-	Security Act, as amended from time to time, to [seek] obtain federal 7
25		-	funds to support the Covered Connecticut program established under 8
26		-	section 19a-754c. Upon approval by the Centers for Medicare and 9
27		-	Medicaid Services, the Commissioner of Social Services shall implement 10
28		-	the waiver. 11
29		-	(b) Not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section, 12
30		-	the commissioner shall amend the waiver submitted in accordance with 13
31		-	subsection (a) of this section, to the extent permissible under federal law 14
32		-	and in accordance with section 17b-8, to provide coverage through the 15
33		-	Covered Connecticut program to persons otherwise qualified for the 16
34		-	program whose income does not exceed two hundred per cent of the 17
35		-	federal poverty level. The commissioner shall consult with the 18 Substitute Bill No. 317
	23	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than sixty days 1
	24	+	after the effective date of this section, the Commissioner of Social 2
	25	+	Services, in consultation with the executive director of the Office of 3
	26	+	Health Strategy established under section 19a-754a of the general 4
	27	+	statutes, shall develop a plan for a second tier of the Covered 5
	28	+	Connecticut program established pursuant to section 19a-754c of the 6
	29	+	general statutes. The plan shall provide state-assisted health care 7
	30	+	coverage for persons otherwise qualified for the program whose income 8
	31	+	exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level but does not 9
	32	+	exceed three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level. 10
	33	+	(b) The plan developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may 11
	34	+	include (1) reduced benefits from the Covered Connecticut program, 12
	35	+	provided such benefits are in accordance with the requirements of the 13
	36	+	Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, as amended 14
	37	+	by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, P.L. 111-152, as 15
	38	+	both may be amended from time to time, and regulations adopted 16 Raised Bill No. 317
36	39
37	40
38		-	LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00317-
39		-	R01-SB.docx }
40		-	2 of 3
41	41
42		-	Insurance Commissioner and the executive director of the Office of 19
43		-	Health Strategy in submitting the waiver amendment. 20
44		-	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than sixty days after 21
45		-	the effective date of this section, the Commissioner of Social Services, in 22
46		-	consultation with the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy 23
47		-	established under section 19a-754a of the general statutes, shall develop 24
48		-	a plan for a second tier of the Covered Connecticut program established 25
49		-	pursuant to section 19a-754c of the general statutes. The plan shall 26
50		-	provide state-assisted health care coverage for persons otherwise 27
51		-	qualified for the program whose income exceeds two hundred per cent 28
52		-	of the federal poverty level but does not exceed three hundred per cent 29
53		-	of the federal poverty level. 30
54		-	(b) The plan developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may 31
55		-	include (1) reduced benefits from the Covered Connecticut program, 32
56		-	provided such benefits are in accordance with the requirements of the 33
57		-	Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, as amended 34
58		-	by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, P.L. 111-152, as 35
59		-	both may be amended from time to time, and regulations adopted 36
60		-	thereunder, and (2) income-based copayments by enrollees. 37
61		-	(c) The Commissioner of Social Services shall submit the plan 38
62		-	developed in accordance with this section to the joint standing 39
63		-	committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 40
64		-	relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, human 41
65		-	services and insurance. Not later than thirty days after the date of their 42
66		-	receipt of such plan, the joint standing committees shall hold a public 43
67		-	hearing on the plan. At the conclusion of a public hearing held in 44
68		-	accordance with the provisions of this section, the joint standing 45
69		-	committees shall advise the commissioner of their approval, denial or 46
70		-	modifications, if any, of the commissioner's plan. If the joint standing 47
71		-	committees advise the commissioner of their denial of the plan, the 48
72		-	commissioner shall not implement the plan. If such committees do not 49
73		-	concur, the committee chairpersons shall appoint a committee of 50
74		-	conference which shall be composed of three members from each joint 51 Substitute Bill No. 317
	42	+	LCO No. 2087 2 of 3
	43	+
	44	+	thereunder, and (2) income-based copayments by enrollees. 17
	45	+	(c) The Commissioner of Social Services shall submit the plan 18
	46	+	developed in accordance with this section to the joint standing 19
	47	+	committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 20
	48	+	relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, human 21
	49	+	services and insurance. Not later than thirty days after the date of their 22
	50	+	receipt of such plan, the joint standing committees shall hold a public 23
	51	+	hearing on the plan. At the conclusion of a public hearing held in 24
	52	+	accordance with the provisions of this section, the joint standing 25
	53	+	committees shall advise the commissioner of their approval, denial or 26
	54	+	modifications, if any, of the commissioner's plan. If the joint standing 27
	55	+	committees advise the commissioner of their denial of the plan, the 28
	56	+	commissioner shall not implement the plan. If such committees do not 29
	57	+	concur, the committee chairpersons shall appoint a committee of 30
	58	+	conference which shall be composed of three members from each joint 31
	59	+	standing committee. At least one member appointed from each joint 32
	60	+	standing committee shall be a member of the minority party. The report 33
	61	+	of the committee of conference shall be made to each joint standing 34
	62	+	committee, which shall vote to accept or reject the report. The report of 35
	63	+	the committee of conference may not be amended. If a joint standing 36
	64	+	committee rejects the report of the committee of conference, that joint 37
	65	+	standing committee shall notify the commissioner of the rejection and 38
	66	+	the commissioner's plan shall be deemed approved. If the joint standing 39
	67	+	committees accept the report, the committee having cognizance of 40
	68	+	matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies 41
	69	+	shall advise the commissioner of their approval, denial or modifications, 42
	70	+	if any, of the commissioner's plan. If the joint standing committees do 43
	71	+	not so advise the commissioner during the thirty-day period, the plan 44
	72	+	shall be deemed denied. Any implementation of the plan developed 45
	73	+	pursuant to this section shall be in accordance with the approval or 46
	74	+	modifications, if any, of the joint standing committees of the General 47
	75	+	Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and 48
	76	+	the budgets of state agencies, human services and insurance. 49
	77	+	(d) To the extent permissible under federal law, the commissioner 50 Raised Bill No. 317
75	78
76	79
77		-	LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00317-
78		-	R01-SB.docx }
79		-	3 of 3
80	80
81		-	standing committee. At least one member appointed from each joint 52
82		-	standing committee shall be a member of the minority party. The report 53
83		-	of the committee of conference shall be made to each joint standing 54
84		-	committee, which shall vote to accept or reject the report. The report of 55
85		-	the committee of conference may not be amended. If a joint standing 56
86		-	committee rejects the report of the committee of conference, that joint 57
87		-	standing committee shall notify the commissioner of the rejection and 58
88		-	the commissioner's plan shall be deemed approved. If the joint standing 59
89		-	committees accept the report, the committee having cognizance of 60
90		-	matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies 61
91		-	shall advise the commissioner of their approval, denial or modifications, 62
92		-	if any, of the commissioner's plan. If the joint standing committees do 63
93		-	not so advise the commissioner during the thirty-day period, the plan 64
94		-	shall be deemed denied. Any implementation of the plan developed 65
95		-	pursuant to this section shall be in accordance with the approval or 66
96		-	modifications, if any, of the joint standing committees of the General 67
97		-	Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and 68
98		-	the budgets of state agencies, human services and insurance. 69
99		-	(d) To the extent permissible under federal law, the commissioner 70
100		-	may seek approval of a Medicaid waiver in accordance with section 17b-71
101		-	8 of the general statutes to obtain federal financial participation for the 72
102		-	plan developed pursuant to this section. 73
	81	+	LCO No. 2087 3 of 3
	82	+
	83	+	may seek approval of a Medicaid waiver in accordance with section 17b-51
	84	+	8 of the general statutes to obtain federal financial participation for the 52
	85	+	plan developed pursuant to this section. 53
103	86		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
104	87		sections:
105	88
106		-	Section 1 from passage 17b-312
107		-	Sec. 2 from passage New section
	89	+	Section 1 from passage New section
108	90
109		-	HS Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP
	91	+	Statement of Purpose:
	92	+	To establish a second tier of the Covered Connecticut program to
	93	+	provide health care benefits at a reduced cost to persons whose income
	94	+	does not exceed three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level.
	95	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	96	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	97	+	underlined.]
110	98