FISCAL
NOTE
WEST virginia Legislature
2017 regular session
By
[
to the Committee on Banking and Insurance then Finance.
A BILL to amend the Code
of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section,
designated §5-16B-6f, relating to qualifying children of state employees,
receiving income of $25,000 per year or less, for the West Virginia Children's Health Insurance Program.
Be it enacted by the
Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West
Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section,
designated §5-16B-6f, to
read as follows:
ARTICLE 16B. WEST VIRGINIA CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM.
§5-16B-6f. Expansion of West Virginia Children's Health Insurance Program to children of state
employees.
(a) Upon approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, the board shall implement a program for uninsured children of state
employees, as defined in section two, article sixteen of this chapter,
receiving income of $25,000 per year or less.
(b) The benefit plans offered pursuant to this section shall
include services determined to be appropriate for children, but may vary from
those currently offered by the board.
(c) The board shall structure the benefit plans for this
expansion to include premiums, coinsurance or copays and deductibles. The board shall develop the cost-sharing
features in such a manner as to keep the program fiscally stable without
creating a barrier to enrollment. Such
features may include different cost-sharing features within this group based
upon the percentage of the federal poverty level.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter to the
contrary, children covered by West Virginia State Employee Health Insurance are
eligible for coverage under this expansion.
If so, the expansion is a complement to and/or a supplement to the gaps
in coverage provided for a child under a parent's West Virginia State Employee Health Insurance plan.
(e) Provider reimbursement schedules shall be no lower than
the reimbursement provided for the same services under the plans offered in
article sixteen of this chapter.
(f) All provisions of this article are applicable to this
expansion unless expressly addressed in this section.
(g) The board is directed to report no less than quarterly to
the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources
Accountability on the development, implementation and progress of the expansion
authorized in this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is
to qualify children of state employees, receiving income of $25,000 per year or
less, for the West Virginia Children's
Health Insurance Program.
Strike-throughs indicate language
that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring
indicates new language that would be added.