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H.B. 364 Enrolled

             1     

PROMOTION OF HEALTH CARE COVERAGE

             2     
2008 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Kory M. Holdaway

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Peter C. Knudson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill amends the Medical Assistance Act and the Individual, Small Employer, and
             10      Group Health Insurance Act.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    requires the Department of Workforce Services, the State Board of Education, and
             14      the Department of Health to:
             15              .    collaborate with one another to develop a process to promote the health
             16      insurance awareness and coverage of children in schools;
             17              .    report to the Legislature on the development of the process; and
             18              .    implement the process no later than the 2009-10 school year;
             19          .    requires the Department of Workforce Services to promote and facilitate the
             20      enrollment of the children identified in public schools without health insurance in the
             21      Utah Children's Health Insurance Program or the Medicaid program; and
             22          .     provides that under certain conditions an individual who qualifies for premium
             23      assistance under the Utah's Premium Partnership for Health Insurance Program, or
             24      the individual's dependents, may enroll in an employer health benefit plan outside an
             25      open enrollment period.
             26      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             27          This bill appropriates:
             28          .    as an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, $60,000 from the
             29      General Fund for fiscal year 2008-09 to the Division of Health Care Financing within


             30      the Department of Health to promote awareness of and facilitate enrollment in the Utah's
             31      Premium Partnership for Health Insurance Program.
             32      Other Special Clauses:
             33          None
             34      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             35      ENACTS:
             36          26-18-12, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             37          31A-22-610.6, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             38     
             39      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             40          Section 1. Section 26-18-12 is enacted to read:
             41          26-18-12. Process to promote health insurance coverage for children.
             42          (1) The Department of Workforce Services, the State Board of Education, and the
             43      department shall:
             44          (a) collaborate with one another to develop a process to promote health insurance
             45      coverage for a child in school when:
             46          (i) the child applies for free or reduced price school lunch;
             47          (ii) a child enrolls in or registers in school; and
             48          (iii) other appropriate school related opportunities;
             49          (b) report to the Legislature on the development of the process under Subsection (1)(a)
             50      no later than November 19, 2008; and
             51          (c) implement the process developed under Subsection (1)(a) no later than the 2009-10
             52      school year.
             53          (2) The Department of Workforce Services shall promote and facilitate the enrollment
             54      of children identified under Subsection (1)(a) without health insurance in the Utah Children's
             55      Health Insurance Program, the Medicaid program, or the Utah Premium Partnership for Health
             56      Insurance Program.
             57          Section 2. Section 31A-22-610.6 is enacted to read:


             58          31A-22-610.6. Special enrollment for individuals receiving premium assistance.
             59          (1) As used in this section:
             60          (a) "Premium assistance" means assistance under Title 26, Chapter 18, Medical
             61      Assistance Act, in the payment of premium.
             62          (b) "Qualified beneficiary" means an individual who is approved to receive premium
             63      assistance.
             64          (2) Subject to the other provisions in this section, an individual may enroll under this
             65      section at a time outside of an employer health benefit plan open enrollment period, regardless
             66      of previously waiving coverage, if the individual is:
             67          (a) a qualified beneficiary who is eligible for coverage as an employee under the
             68      employer health benefit plan; or
             69          (b) a dependent of the qualified beneficiary who is eligible for coverage under the
             70      employer health benefit plan.
             71          (3) To be eligible to enroll outside of an open enrollment period, an individual described
             72      in Subsection (2) shall enroll in the employer health benefit plan by no later than 30 days from
             73      the day on which the qualified beneficiary receives written notification that the qualified
             74      beneficiary is eligible to receive premium assistance.
             75          (4) An individual described in Subsection (2) may enroll under this section only in an
             76      employer's health benefit plan that is available at the time of enrollment to similarly situated
             77      eligible employees or dependents of eligible employees.
             78          (5) Coverage under an employer health benefit plan for an individual described in
             79      Subsection (2) may begin as soon as the first day of the month immediately following
             80      enrollment of the individual in accordance with this section.
             81          (6) This section does not modify any requirement related to premiums that applies
             82      under an employer health benefit plan to a similarly situated eligible employee or dependent of
             83      an eligible employee under the employer health benefit plan.
             84          (7) An employer health benefit plan may require an individual described in Subsection
             85      (2) to satisfy a preexisting condition waiting period that:


             86          (a) is allowed under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996,
             87      Pub. L. 104-191, 110 Stat. 1936; and
             88          (b) is not longer than 12 months.
             89          Section 3. Appropriation.
             90          As an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, there is appropriated
             91      from the General Fund for fiscal year 2008-09, $60,000 to the Division of Health Care
             92      Financing within the Department of Health to promote awareness of and facilitate enrollment in
             93      the Utah's Premium Partnership for Health Insurance Program.


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