FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: February 16, 2024
Time Requested: 02:04 PM |
| Agency: |
Insurance Commission |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 1896 |
Introduced |
HB5103 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Health |
|---|
|
FUND(S):
7152 Insurance Commission Fund
Sources of Revenue:
Special Fund
Legislation creates:
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
House Bill 5103, if enacted, would allow county commissions to initiate collections for emergency ambulance services and to set a fee for those who refuse transport and would require insurance plans to cover special emergency ambulance service fees.
HB5103 would have no fiscal impact on the operations, revenues or expenses of the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner.
Please see the memorandum section of this fiscal note for additional information.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2024
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2025
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 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):
Please explain increases and decreases in personal services, current expenses, repairs and alterations, assets, other costs and revenues, including assumptions and data sources and delineation between start-up and ongoing costs. Please also include a long-range schedule of costs and revenues if fiscal impact is expected to vary in future years.
Memorandum
House Bill 5103, if enacted, would allow county commissions to initiate collections for emergency ambulance services and to set a fee for those who refuse transport and would require insurance plans to cover special emergency ambulance service fees.
HB5103 would have no fiscal impact on the operations, revenues or expenses of the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner.
Health insurance generally pays for necessary medical treatment and expenses, including treatment in place by ambulance providers, but HB5103 appears to expand state mandated coverage beyond covering the essential health benefits or necessary medical care and requires health insurers to cover fees, ambulance runs or the costs of operating a county ambulance service even when treatment is not provided to a covered person under a health insurance plan.
HB5103 appears to limit the application of deductibles to the covered situations, which could have tax consequences for those in high deductible health plans. HB5103 would likely have a negative impact on insurance premium rates.
It should be noted that HB5103 does not contain language limiting the insurance benefits provided under the proposed bill to the essential health benefits (EHB) specified under section 130(b) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). PPACA 1311 (d)(3) provides that a state must defray the cost by direct payment to enrollees or to the Plan of any state mandated benefit in excess of the EHB.
To the extent that the health insurance benefits required by HB5103 do not fall within the EHB, a potential cost ot the State exists.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Rhonda C Hartwell
Email Address: rhonda.c.hartwell@wv.gov