Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB154 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R1120 KKR-D
2	2	By: Bernal H.B. No. 154
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to establishing a program designed to ensure health
8	8	benefit plan coverage to certain children through the private
9	9	marketplace.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subtitle I, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
12	12	by adding Chapter 540 to read as follows:
13	13	CHAPTER 540. PROGRAM TO ENSURE HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN COVERAGE FOR
14	14	CERTAIN CHILDREN THROUGH PRIVATE MARKET SOLUTIONS
15	15	Sec. 540.0001. PROGRAM FOR HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN COVERAGE FOR
16	16	CHILDREN THROUGH PRIVATE MARKET SOLUTIONS. The commission in
17	17	consultation with the commissioner of insurance shall develop and
18	18	implement a program that helps connect certain children in this
19	19	state with health benefit plan coverage through private market
20	20	solutions.
21	21	Sec. 540.0002. ENROLLMENT ELIGIBILITY. (a) Subject to
22	22	Subsection (b), a child is eligible to enroll in a program designed
23	23	and established under this chapter if the child:
24	24	(1) is younger than 19 years of age;
25	25	(2) is not eligible for benefits under Medicaid or the
26	26	child health plan program because of applicable income limits; and
27	27	(3) does not have health benefit coverage under a
28	28	health benefit plan because the child's family does not have access
29	29	to or cannot afford a plan through the private marketplace,
30	30	including:
31	31	(A) an employer-sponsored health benefit plan;
32	32	or
33	33	(B) a health benefit plan for which an enrollee
34	34	receives a premium subsidy under the Patient Protection and
35	35	Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. No. 111-148) due to the amount of
36	36	family income.
37	37	(b) The executive commissioner shall further define the
38	38	program's eligibility requirements, including defining income
39	39	requirements necessary to enroll in the program.
40	40	Sec. 540.0003. MINIMUM PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. A program
41	41	designed and established under this chapter must:
42	42	(1) provide premium assistance to purchase health
43	43	benefit plan coverage for a child in the private market; and
44	44	(2) use technology to maximize the efficiency with
45	45	which the commission and any health benefit plan issuer manages
46	46	enrollee participation.
47	47	Sec. 540.0004. RULES. The executive commissioner may adopt
48	48	rules necessary to implement this chapter.
49	49	SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
50	50	of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
51	51	Services Commission shall develop and implement the program
52	52	required by Chapter 540, Government Code, as added by this Act.
53	53	SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act
54	54	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
55	55	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
56	56	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
57	57	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
58	58	waiver or authorization is granted.
59	59	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.