Senate Bill No. 86

(By Senators Hunter, White and Foster)

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[Introduced February 9, 2005; referred to the Committee

on Health and Human Resources; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact §5-16B-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the Children's Health Insurance Program; and expanding availability of coverage to children whose family income is less than two hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty guideline.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §5-16B-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 16B. WEST VIRGINIA CHILDREN'S HEALTH PROGRAM.
§5-16B-6. Financial plans requirements.
(a) Benefit plan design. -- All financial plans required by this section shall establish: (1) The design of a benefit plan or plans; (2) the maximum levels of reimbursement to categories of health care providers; (3) any cost containment measures for implementation during the applicable fiscal year; and (4) the types and levels of cost to families of covered children. To the extent compatible with simplicity of administration, fiscal stability and other goals of the program established in this article, the financial plans may provide for different levels of costs based on ability to pay.
(b) Actuary requirements. -- Any financial plan, or modifications, approved or proposed by the board shall be submitted to and reviewed by an actuary before final approval. The financial plan shall be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature with the actuary's written professional opinion that all estimated program and administrative costs of the agency under the plan, including incurred but unreported claims, will not exceed ninety percent of the funding available to the program for the fiscal year for which the plan is proposed and that the financial plan allows for no more than thirty days of accounts payable to be carried over into the next fiscal year. This actuarial requirement is in addition to any requirement imposed by Title XXI of the Social Security Act of 1997.
(c) Annual plans. -- The board shall review implementation of its current financial plan in light of actual experience and shall prepare an annual financial plan for each fiscal year during which the board remains in existence. For each fiscal year, the Governor shall provide an estimate of requested appropriations and total funding available to the board no later than the fifteenth day of October preceding the fiscal year. The board shall afford interested and affected persons an opportunity to offer comment on the plan at a public meeting of the board and, in developing any proposed plan under this article, shall solicit comments in writing from interested and affected persons. The board shall submit its final, approved financial plan, subject to the actuarial requirements of this article, to the Governor and to the Legislature no later than the first day of January preceding the fiscal year. The financial plan for a fiscal year becomes effective and shall be implemented by the director on the first day of July of that fiscal year. Annual plans developed pursuant to this subsection are subject to the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section and the following guidelines:
(1) The aggregate actuarial value of the plan established as the benchmark plan should be considered as a targeted maximum or limitation in developing the benefits package;
(2) All estimated program and administrative costs, including incurred but not reported claims, shall not exceed ninety percent of the funding available to the program for the applicable fiscal year; and
(3) The State's interest in achieving health care services for all its children at less than two hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty guideline shall take precedence over enhancing the benefits available under this program.
(d) The provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code do not apply to the preparation, approval and implementation of the financial plans required by this section.
(e) The board shall meet no less than once each quarter to review implementation of its current financial plan and, using actuarial data, shall make those modifications to the plan that are necessary to ensure its fiscal stability and effectiveness of service. The board may not increase the types and levels of cost to families of covered children during its quarterly review except in the event of a true emergency. The board may not expand the population of children to whom the program is made available except in its annual plan: Provided, That upon the effective date of this article, the board may expand coverage to any child eligible under the provisions of Title XXI of the Social Security Act of 1997: Provided, however, That the board shall implement cost-sharing provisions for children who may qualify for such expanded coverage and whose family income exceeds one hundred fifty two hundred percent of the federal poverty guideline. Such cost-sharing provisions may be imposed through any one or a combination of the following: Enrollment fees, premiums, copayments and deductibles.
(f) The board may develop and implement programs that provide for family coverage and/or employer subsidies within the limits authorized by the provisions of Title XXI of the Social Security Act of 1997 or the federal regulations promulgated thereunder: Provided, That any family health insurance coverage offered by or through the program shall be structured so that the board assumes no financial risk: Provided, however, That families covered by any insurance offered by or through the program shall be subject to cost-sharing provisions which may include, without limitation, enrollment fees, premiums, copayments and/or deductibles, as determined by the board, which shall be based on ability to pay: Provided further, That enrollment fees or premiums, if imposed, may be paid, in whole or in part, through employer subsidies or other private funds or public funds, subject to availability, all as allowed by applicable State and federal law.
(g) For any fiscal year in which legislative appropriations differ from the Governor's estimate of general and special revenues available to the agency, the board shall, within thirty days after passage of the budget bill, make any modifications to the plan necessary to ensure that the total financial requirements of the agency for the current fiscal year are met.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to expand health coverage eligibility to children under the Children's Health Insurance Program whose family income is less than 250% of the federal poverty level.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.