Senate Bill sb0298
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 SB 298
By Senator Fasano
11-105-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to small business health care
3 insurance assistance; providing legislative
4 intent; establishing a pilot program to provide
5 rebates to small businesses providing
6 comprehensive major medical health insurance
7 coverage for employees; requiring employer and
8 employee participation in certain costs;
9 specifying the amount of the rebate; providing
10 for additional eligibility for certain
11 businesses; limiting authorization to provide
12 rebates under the program pursuant to specific
13 appropriation; providing for administration of
14 the program by the Agency for Health Care
15 Administration; requiring the agency to adopt
16 rules; providing enforcement and audit
17 authority for the agency; providing an
18 effective date.
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20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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22 Section 1. (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to
23 encourage small businesses to provide comprehensive major
24 medical health insurance coverage to employees of the
25 businesses.
26 (2) The Small Business Health Care Insurance
27 Assistance Pilot Program is created as a statewide pilot
28 program for a period of 2 years to provide a one-time rebate
29 for small businesses that employ more than one but fewer than
30 six employees and that provide full coverage of comprehensive
31 major medical health insurance for such employees pursuant to
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 298
11-105-07
1 s. 627.6699, Florida Statutes. The employer shall pay at least
2 50 percent but less than 100 percent of the cost of the
3 coverage, and the employees must share in the remainder of the
4 cost of the coverage.
5 (3)(a) The amount of the rebate shall be $1,000 per
6 each employee as reported on the business's Florida
7 unemployment compensation tax form 6.
8 (b) A small business must apply through the Agency for
9 Health Care Administration.
10 (c) A business is eligible for the rebate under this
11 section if, at the time of applying for a rebate under the
12 pilot program, the business had provided and paid for such
13 coverage for 12 consecutive months but had not provided and
14 paid for such coverage for at least 6 months prior to the
15 12-month period. The business may receive the rebate only one
16 time.
17 (d) The agency shall only provide rebates to eligible
18 businesses if a specific appropriation is made in the General
19 Appropriations Act for the purpose of providing rebates under
20 the pilot program.
21 (4) The pilot program shall be administered by the
22 Agency for Health Care Administration. The agency shall adopt
23 any rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54, Florida
24 Statutes, necessary to administer and ensure accountability of
25 the pilot program and enforce compliance with the requirements
26 of the program. The agency may conduct audits of any business
27 applying for rebates under the program to ensure compliance
28 with program requirements.
29 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 298
11-105-07
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Provides legislative intent. Establishes a pilot program
to provide rebates to small businesses providing
4 comprehensive major medical health insurance coverage for
employees. Requires employer and employee participation
5 in certain costs. Specifies the amount of the rebate.
Provides for additional eligibility for certain
6 businesses. Provides for authorization to provide rebates
under the program only pursuant to specific
7 appropriation. Provides for administration of the program
by the Agency for Health Care Administration. Requires
8 the agency to adopt rules. Provides enforcement and audit
authority for the agency.
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