House File 2259 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY FORD
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to reenrollment of former expansion population
2 members under the IowaCare program.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 6356HH 82
5 pf/nh/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 249J.8, subsection 1, Code Supplement
1 2 2007, is amended to read as follows:
1 3 1. Each expansion population member whose family income
1 4 exceeds one hundred percent of the federal poverty level as
1 5 defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines
1 6 published by the United States department of health and human
1 7 services shall pay a monthly premium not to exceed one=twelfth
1 8 of five percent of the member's annual family income. Each
1 9 expansion population member whose family income is equal to or
1 10 less than one hundred percent of the federal poverty level as
1 11 defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines
1 12 published by the United States department of health and human
1 13 services shall not be subject to payment of a monthly premium.
1 14 All premiums shall be paid on the last day of the month of
1 15 coverage. The department shall deduct the amount of any
1 16 monthly premiums paid by an expansion population member for
1 17 benefits under the healthy and well kids in Iowa program when
1 18 computing the amount of monthly premiums owed under this
1 19 subsection. An expansion population member shall pay the
1 20 monthly premium during the entire period of the member's
1 21 enrollment. Regardless of the length of enrollment, the
1 22 member is subject to payment of the premium for a minimum of
1 23 four consecutive months. However, an expansion population
1 24 member who complies with the requirement of payment of the
1 25 premium for a minimum of four consecutive months during a
1 26 consecutive twelve=month period of enrollment shall be deemed
1 27 to have complied with this requirement for the subsequent
1 28 consecutive twelve=month period of enrollment and shall only
1 29 be subject to payment of the monthly premium on a
1 30 month=by=month basis. Timely payment of premiums, including
1 31 any arrearages accrued from prior enrollment, is a condition
1 32 of receiving any expansion population services. However,
1 33 notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, an individual
1 34 who was an expansion population member prior to July 1, 2007,
1 35 whose family income was equal to or less than one hundred
2 1 percent of the federal poverty level as defined by the most
2 2 recently revised poverty income guidelines published by the
2 3 United States department of health and human services, who was
2 4 subject to payment of a premium at that time, and who was in
2 5 arrears on payment of the then existing premium, may enroll in
2 6 the program without being subject to the prerequisite payment
2 7 of the outstanding premium arrearages. Premiums collected
2 8 under this subsection shall be deposited in the premiums
2 9 subaccount of the account for health care transformation
2 10 created pursuant to section 249J.23. An expansion population
2 11 member shall also pay the same copayments required of other
2 12 adult recipients of medical assistance.
2 13 Sec. 2. FEDERAL WAIVER AMENDMENT. The department of human
2 14 services shall request any medical assistance waiver amendment
2 15 from the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services of the
2 16 United State department of health and human services necessary
2 17 to implement this Act.
2 18 EXPLANATION
2 19 This bill provides that an individual who was an expansion
2 20 population member (IowaCare program member) prior to July 1,
2 21 2007, whose family income was equal to or less than 100
2 22 percent of the federal poverty level, and who was in arrears
2 23 on payment of the then existing premium, may reenroll in the
2 24 IowaCare program without being subject to the prerequisite
2 25 payment of the outstanding premium arrearages. Beginning July
2 26 1, 2007, the premium payment requirement for individuals with
2 27 incomes at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level
2 28 was eliminated, but existing law requires that in order to
2 29 reenroll in the program an individual must pay all arrearages,
2 30 including premiums, owed. This bill would, therefore, allow
2 31 those who are no longer required to pay a premium, who accrued
2 32 premium arrearages during the time that a premium was
2 33 required, to reenroll in the program without paying the
2 34 arrearage amount owed. The bill directs the department of
2 35 human services to request of the federal government any
3 1 medical assistance waiver amendment necessary to implement the
3 2 bill.
3 3 LSB 6356HH 82
3 4 pf/nh/5