Sources of Revenue:

General Fund

Legislation creates:

Neither Program nor Fund

Fiscal Note Summary

Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.

This bill would require the Department of Health and Human Resources to provide matching funds up to $2,000, dollar for dollar each calendar year, to any funds donated by parents of a minor into a trust account created after the minor has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, with the money from said trust to be disbursed to help pay expenses for the care of said minor and otherwise be exempt for state income tax purposes. As written, the Department of Health and Human Resources (Department) cannot provide a definitive fiscal impact of the proposed legislation, other than the estimated administrative costs of $62,712. There is no current mechanism in place to quantify the number of minors who would meet the eligibility requirements contained in this bill. According to the WV Autism Training Center at Marshall University, 953 reporting forms for new ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) diagnoses in WV have been received since the opening of the autism registry. If all 953 currently meet the criteria of this bill, the total cost would be $1,906,000 (953 minors @ $2,000 annually).The current prevalence ratio for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is being reported at 1 in 88. The 2010 census data indicates there are approximately 383,570 individuals 18 years or younger living in the state of West Virginia. Based on this data, it is estimated that approximately 4,359 individuals 18 years or younger in the state have ASD. If all 4,359 minors meet the criteria of this bill, the possible annual cost would be $8,718,000. Additionally, it is important to note that the $2,000 of matching funds could impact Medicaid eligibility for recipients of the funds.

Fiscal Note Detail

Effect of Proposal	Fiscal Year
Effect of Proposal	2013 Increase/Decrease (use"-")	2014 Increase/Decrease (use"-")	Fiscal Year (Upon Full Implementation)
1. Estmated Total Cost	0	62,712	62,712
Personal Services	0	59,712	59,712
Current Expenses	0	3,000	3,000
Repairs and Alterations	0	0	0
Assets	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0
2. Estimated Total Revenues	0	0	0

Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):

The estimated administrative costs include personal services costs for an Administrative Services Assistant ($40,608), employee benefits ($19,104), and miscellaneous current expense of $3,000 (computer, travel, supplies, phone, etc.)

Memorandum

The proposed legislation designates this would be the responsibility of the "Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Resources", rather than the Secretary. It is unknown whether the $2,000 would qualify for Medicaid federal match if the funds were to be paid by Medicaid. Additionally, the $2,000 could impact Medicaid eligibility for recipients of the funds. It is unknown whether the trust fund would become the primary payer source (until exhausted) for medical costs if the child was a Medicaid member (since Medicaid is the payer of last resort). It is also unknown how many individuals would meet the specified criteria of a minor with an autism spectrum disorder with parents who established a trust for the minor; as such, it is not possible to quantify the potential annual cost impact.

Person submitting Fiscal Note: Rocco S. Fucillo
Email Address: dhhrbudgetoffice@wv.gov