Senate File 299 - Introduced



                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  WARNSTADT


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act establishing pilot projects requiring the division of
  2    insurance to allow flexible small employer group health
  3    insurance coverage and requiring the insurance division to
  4    review insurance rating issues affecting small employers.
  5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  6 TLSB 2914XS 81
  7 av/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  SMALL EMPLOYER GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE PILOT
  1  2 PROJECTS == REPORTS.  The division of insurance of the
  1  3 department of commerce shall implement one or more small
  1  4 employer group health insurance pilot projects for the purpose
  1  5 of providing employers with less than twenty=six employees
  1  6 greater flexibility in the types of group health insurance
  1  7 coverage available for their employees.  Target groups for the
  1  8 pilot projects shall be small employers who currently do not
  1  9 offer health insurance to their employees.  The division of
  1 10 insurance may authorize the availability of small employer
  1 11 group health insurance coverage with options including but not
  1 12 limited to rate incentives for lifestyle changes or disease
  1 13 management and exemption from coverage mandates, or other
  1 14 options to be determined by the division of insurance.  In
  1 15 addition, the division shall review the unique health
  1 16 insurance rating issues that affect small employers to see if
  1 17 current rating requirements adequately address this group.
  1 18 The projects shall be implemented commencing during the fiscal
  1 19 year beginning July 1, 2005, and shall end by June 30, 2008.
  1 20 The division shall submit an annual evaluation of the results
  1 21 of the pilot projects and of its review of rating issues to
  1 22 the general assembly on or before December 15, 2005, and on or
  1 23 before December 15 of each year thereafter while the pilot
  1 24 projects are being implemented and shall submit a final report
  1 25 summarizing the results of the pilot projects to the general
  1 26 assembly on or before December 15, 2008.
  1 27                           EXPLANATION
  1 28    This bill requires the division of insurance of the
  1 29 department of commerce to implement one or more small employer
  1 30 group health insurance pilot projects for the purpose of
  1 31 providing employers with less than 26 employees greater
  1 32 flexibility in the types of group health insurance coverage
  1 33 available for their employees.  Target groups for the pilot
  1 34 projects are small employers who do not offer health insurance
  1 35 to their employees.  The division may authorize group health
  2  1 insurance coverage for small employers with various options
  2  2 not currently available.  The division is also required to
  2  3 review the unique health insurance rating issues that affect
  2  4 small employers to see if current rating requirements
  2  5 adequately address this group.  The division is required to
  2  6 implement the pilot projects in the fiscal year beginning July
  2  7 1, 2005, and the projects shall be completed by June 30, 2008.
  2  8 The division is required to submit annual reports to the
  2  9 general assembly evaluating the results of the pilot projects
  2 10 and of its review of rating issues, ending with a final report
  2 11 summarizing the results of the pilot projects on or before
  2 12 December 15, 2008.
  2 13 LSB 2914XS 81
  2 14 av:nh/gg/14