The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Christopher D. Adams.
DIGEST
SB 40 Original 2015 Regular Session Nevers
Proposed law requires beginning no later than January 1, 2016, every legal Louisiana resident whose
household income is at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level shall have health care
coverage with essential health benefits, and the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) shall
administer a state program which makes available to every legal resident of this state whose
household income is at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level access to health care
coverage with essential health benefits, as provided by federal law and applicable rules and
regulations.
Proposed law requires DHH make all necessary state Medicaid plan amendments or waiver
applications to the federal government in order to access all federal funding available for the
provision of health care services, including but not limited to funds available through federal law.
Proposed law provides DHH, through federally-approved state Medicaid plan amendments or waiver
applications, may consider requirements such as the use of participant required premiums, participant
required copayments, participant required health accounts, and cost sharing for nonemergency use
of an emergency department.
Proposed law provides the legislature annually appropriate the state and federal revenues necessary
to fund the program to provide health care coverage for this eligible population, except that, if total
funding to operate this state program is comprised of less than 90 percent federal funds, the
legislature has the authority to decide whether to continue the program. The state general fund shall
not be used to pay for the state's responsibility of the program required pursuant to this Section.
Effective August 1, 2015.
(Adds R.S. 46:980.1)