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2020 Session

Budget Amendments - HB30 (Member Request)

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Chief Patron: Hope
Workgroup on Expanding Health Care Coverage (language only)

Item 291 #2h

Item 291 #2h

Health and Human Resources
Secretary of Health and Human Resources

Language

Page 274, after line 38, insert:

"E. The Secretary of Health and Human Resources shall convene a work group to study options for expanding health care coverage for uninsured households with household incomes of up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level for households of a comparable size. The work group shall include the Commissioners of the Departments of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Health, Medical Assistance Services, and Social Services; stakeholders representing health care providers, hospitals, health insurance providers, health care advocates, consumers of health care, and national policy experts; and such other stakeholders as the Secretary may deem appropriate. The work group shall (i) identify strategies for expanding health care coverage to include all uninsured households with household incomes of up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level for households of a comparable size, including measures to improve affordability of coverage and care for such households, increase enrollment and retention in health insurance and public programs that provide access to health care coverage, and expand eligibility for and increase enrollment in existing public assistance programs that provide access to health care coverage; (ii) evaluate the costs and benefits of such strategy, including the costs and benefits to health care consumers, health care providers, health care payers, and the Commonwealth; (iii) provide recommendations related to specific strategies to expand health care coverage to all household incomes of up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level for households of a comparable size; and (iv) provide detailed plans for design and implementation of such strategies, including legislative, regulatory, and budgetary actions necessary to implement such strategies. The work group shall report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2020."



Explanation

(This amendment adds language directing the Secretary of Health and Human Resource to convene a workgroup to study options for expanding health care coverage for uninsured households with household incomes of up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.)