Senate Bill sb2050

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 2050

    By Senator Mitchell





    4-963A-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to health insurance; providing

  3         legislative intent to provide expanded access

  4         to health insurance for adults living in

  5         families whose income is at or below the

  6         federal poverty level and to access federal

  7         funds for this coverage; requiring the Agency

  8         for Health Care Administration to file

  9         amendments to the state plan and waiver

10         requests with the U.S. Department of Health and

11         Human Services; creating the Health Care

12         Coverage Workgroup; providing membership and

13         purpose; amending s. 409.901, F.S.; defining

14         the term "family"; amending s. 409.904, F.S.;

15         authorizing the agency to make payments for

16         medical assistance for families and individuals

17         whose income is at or below 133 percent of the

18         federal poverty level; providing an effective

19         date.

20

21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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23         Section 1.  Legislative intent.--It is the intent of

24  the Legislature to continue to meet the goal to assure access

25  to health insurance to all Floridians who are uninsured. Over

26  the course of several years, health insurance through the

27  KidCare program has been extended to children living in

28  families whose income levels are at or below 200 percent of

29  the federal poverty level. However, many of the parents of

30  these children are uninsured and without the means to purchase

31  health insurance. Federal funds are available to help pay for

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 2050
    4-963A-01




  1  health insurance for low-income families through the medical

  2  assistance programs under Title XIX and Title XXI of the

  3  Social Security Act. It is the intent of the Legislature to

  4  provide expanded access to health insurance for eligible

  5  families and to access federal funds available for this

  6  coverage. It is further the intent of the legislature to

  7  provide access to health insurance coverage for individuals

  8  and families with income at or below 133 percent of the

  9  federal poverty level, regardless of current Medicaid

10  categorical eligibility. The Agency for Health Care

11  Administration is directed to file the appropriate state plan

12  amendments and waiver requests with the U.S. Department of

13  Health and Human Services in order to provide access to this

14  coverage and maximize all federal funds for provisions of this

15  coverage.

16         Section 2.  Health Care Coverage Workgroup.--A

17  workgroup consisting of two representatives from the Chamber

18  of Commerce; two representatives from the small business

19  community; one representative from the Florida Hospital

20  Association; one representative of the Florida Association of

21  Community Health Centers; one representative from the Florida

22  Medical Association; one representative of the insurance

23  industry; four low-income consumers or their representatives;

24  two representatives of the Workforce Boards; and any other

25  representatives determined to be stakeholders by the Secretary

26  of the Agency for Health Care Administration shall be

27  appointed by the secretary for the express purpose of

28  preparing a proposal to expand health insurance to Florida's

29  low-wage workers and small employers that use the opportunity

30  afforded by Congress to expand coverage to the parents of

31  children eligible for the Title XIX and Title XXI programs,

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 2050
    4-963A-01




  1  including, but not limited to, buy-in, wrap-around, or tax

  2  credit options for small employers. The workgroup must be

  3  staffed by the Agency for Health Care Administration. A

  4  proposal must be prepared and presented to the Legislature by

  5  January 15, 2002.

  6         Section 3.  Present subsections (11), (12), (13), (14),

  7  (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24),

  8  (25), and (26) of section 409.901, Florida Statutes, are

  9  redesignated as subsections (12), (13), (14), (15), (16),

10  (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), (25), (26),

11  and (27), respectively, and a new subsection (11) is added to

12  that section to read:

13         409.901  Definitions; ss. 409.901-409.920.--As used in

14  ss. 409.901-409.920, except as otherwise specifically

15  provided, the term:

16         (11)  "Family" means a minor child or children and

17  their parents or relatives with whom they reside.

18         Section 4.  Subsection (9) is added to section 409.904,

19  Florida Statutes, to read:

20         409.904  Optional payments for eligible persons.--The

21  agency may make payments for medical assistance and related

22  services on behalf of the following persons who are determined

23  to be eligible subject to the income, assets, and categorical

24  eligibility tests set forth in federal and state law.  Payment

25  on behalf of these Medicaid eligible persons is subject to the

26  availability of moneys and any limitations established by the

27  General Appropriations Act or chapter 216.

28         (9)  Families and individuals whose income levels are

29  at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. The

30  Agency for Health Care Administration shall amend the medical

31  assistance Title XIX state plan to provide medical assistance

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 2050
    4-963A-01




  1  coverage to families through expanded income disregards or

  2  other methodologies for families whose income levels are at or

  3  below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. In determining

  4  eligibility, consideration of family assets must be consistent

  5  with the requirements in s. 409.814. The Agency for Health

  6  Care Administration shall submit to the U.S. Department of

  7  Health and Human Services any necessary Title XIX or Title XXI

  8  state plan amendments or waiver requests to provide for

  9  medical assistance coverage to families and individuals under

10  this section and to maximize federal funds for the provision

11  of this coverage.

12         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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14            *****************************************

15                          SENATE SUMMARY

16    Expresses legislative intent to provide expanded access
      to health insurance for adults living in families whose
17    income is at or below the federal poverty level and to
      access federal funds for this coverage. Requires the
18    Agency for Health Care Administration to file amendments
      to the state plan and waiver requests with the U.S.
19    Department of Health and Human Services. Creates the
      Health Care Coverage Workgroup. Provides membership and
20    purpose. Authorizes the agency to make payments for
      medical assistance for families and individuals whose
21    income is at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty
      level.
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