HB 1401

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to access to health care; amending s.
3408.909, F.S.; revising criteria for eligibility for
4enrollment in a health flex plan; creating s. 445.015,
5F.S.; establishing a small business health insurance plan
6grant program; providing purposes of the grant program;
7providing conditions for use of grant funds; providing
8duties of the Agency for Workforce Innovation and the
9Office of Insurance Regulation; requiring a report to the
10Governor and Legislature; providing that the grant program
11is contingent upon specific appropriation; providing an
12effective date.
13
14Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16     Section 1.  Subsection (5) of section 408.909, Florida
17Statutes, is amended to read:
18     408.909  Health flex plans.--
19     (5)  ELIGIBILITY.--Eligibility to enroll in an approved
20health flex plan is limited to residents of this state who:
21     (a)  Are 64 years of age or younger;
22     (b)  Have a family income equal to or less than 200 percent
23of the federal poverty level;
24     (c)  Are eligible under a federally approved Medicaid
25demonstration waiver and reside in Palm Beach County or Miami-
26Dade County;
27     (d)  Are not covered by a private insurance policy and are
28not eligible for coverage through a public health insurance
29program, such as Medicare or Medicaid, unless specifically
30authorized under paragraph (c), or another public health care
31program, such as Kidcare, and have not been covered at any time
32during the past 6 months; and
33     (d)(e)  Have applied for health care coverage through an
34approved health flex plan and have agreed to make any payments
35required for participation, including periodic payments or
36payments due at the time health care services are provided; and
37     (e)  Are either:
38     1.  Not covered by a private insurance policy and not
39eligible for coverage through a public health insurance program,
40such as Medicare or Medicaid, unless specifically authorized
41under paragraph (c), or another public health care program, such
42as Kidcare, and have not been covered at any time during the
43past 6 months; or
44     2.  Part of an employer group that is not covered by a
45private health insurance policy and has not been covered at any
46time during the past 6 months and in which at least 75 percent
47of the employees have a family income equal to or less than 250
48percent of the federal poverty level. If the health flex plan
49entity is a properly licensed health insurer, health plan, or
50health maintenance organization, this subparagraph applies when
51only 50 percent of the employees have a family income equal to
52or less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level.
53     Section 2.  Section 445.015, Florida Statutes, is created
54to read:
55     445.015  Small business health insurance plan grant
56program.--
57     (1)  The agency shall establish a small business health
58insurance plan grant program to award, administer, and monitor
59grants to small employers and small businesses to develop and
60offer cafeteria health plans that qualify under s. 125 of the
61Internal Revenue Code and include options such as prepaid health
62clinic services licensed under part II of chapter 641 for the
63purpose of improving access to health insurance for uninsured
64employees. The agency shall give priority to employer proposals
65that would improve access for previously uninsured employees or
66include long-term commitments to insure employees. Grant funds
67shall not be used for ongoing maintenance of the plans or for
68employer contributions. The agency, in consultation with the
69Office of Insurance Regulation, shall evaluate each project
70funded by a grant to measure any increases in access to
71insurance and the long-term viability of such increases. The
72agency shall design materials and interactive programs to inform
73small employers and small businesses about such cafeteria health
74plans and shall provide training to assist small employers and
75small businesses in developing such plans. Training shall
76include technical assistance in establishing relationships with
77health plans and individualized guidance on operational methods
78and infrastructure that will best support and ensure the long-
79term success of using these plans.
80     (2)  The agency shall submit a report that documents the
81specific activities undertaken during the fiscal year pursuant
82to this section annually to the Governor, the President of the
83Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives no later
84than February 1.
85     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007, except
86that s. 445.015, Florida Statutes, as created by this act, shall
87take effect only if a specific appropriation to the Agency for
88Health Care Administration to fund the small business health
89insurance plan grant program is made in the General
90Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007-2008.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.