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 Section 17b-312 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1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