HB 6687 — AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITHOUT HEALTH CARE COVERAGE.

GeneralHouse Assembly Bill No.

6687 JanuaryPublic Session,Act 2021 LCO No.

1033221-176 ReferredAN toACT CommitteeCONCERNING onMEDICAL NoASSISTANCE CommitteeFOR IntroducedCHILDREN by:AND ADULTS WITHOUT HEALTH CARE COVERAGE.

REP.

RITTER M., 1 Dist.

th SEN.

LOONEY, 11 Dist.

AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITHOUT HEALTH CARE COVERAGE.

(NEW) (l) On and after January 1, 2022,2023, the Commissioner of Social Services shall, within available appropriations, provide state-funded medical assistance to any child eight years of age and younger, regardless of immigration status, whose household income does not exceed two hundred one per cent of the federal poverty level without an asset limit.limit and who does not otherwise qualify for Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, or an offer of affordable, employer-sponsored insurance as defined in the Affordable Care Act, as an employee or a dependent of an employee.

(NEW) (Effective JanuaryOctober 1, 2022)2021) On or after April 1, 2022,2023, the Commissioner of Social Services,Services shall, within available appropriations, provide state-funded medical assistance for postpartum care for twelve months after birth to a woman withoutwho legaldoes not qualify for Medicaid due to immigration status and whose household LCOincome No.does not exceed two hundred sixty-three per cent of the federal poverty level.

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income6687 doesSec. not exceed two hundred sixty-three per cent of the federal poverty level.

Sec.

Subsection (a) of section 17b-292 of the general statutes is repealedandthefollowingissubstitutedinlieuthereof(EffectiveJanuaryrepealed andthefollowing issubstituted inlieuthereof(EffectiveOctober 1, 2022):2021):

TheNot later than January 1, 2023, the Commissioner of Social Services shall, within available appropriations, provide state-funded medical assistance to any child eight years of age and younger, regardless of immigration status, with a household income that exceeds two hundred one per cent of the federal poverty level but does not exceed three hundred twenty-three per cent of the federal poverty level.level, and who does not otherwise qualify for Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, or an offer of affordable, employer-sponsored insurance as defined in the Affordable Care Act, as an employee or a dependent of an employee.

(NEW) (Effective JanuaryOctober 1, 2022)2021) As used in this section, "unborn child option" means a state option available under the Children's Health Insurance Program pursuant to Title XXI of the Social Security Act, as amended from time to time, that allows states to consider an unborn child a low-income child eligible for coverage of prenatal care if other conditions of eligibility under the Children's Health Insurance Program are met.

(NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The CommissionerExecutive ofDirector Social Services, in consultation with the Office of Health Strategy and the ConnecticutPublic HealthAct Insurance Exchange established pursuant to section 38a-1081 of the general statutes, shall develop four-year plans to phase LCO No.

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6687 Office of Health Strategy, in medicalconsultation assistancewith the Office of Policy and Management, the Department of Social Services, the Connecticut Insurance Department and the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange established pursuant to section 38a-1081 of the general statutes, shall study the feasibility of offering health care coverage for (1) income-eligibleincome- eligible children ages nine to eighteen,inclusive,eighteen, regardlessofimmigrationstatus,and(2)adultswithinclusive, regardless of immigration status, who are not otherwise eligible for Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, or an offer of affordable employer sponsored insurance as defined in the Affordable Care Act, as an employee or a dependent of an employee, and (2) adults with household income not exceeding two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level who do not currentlyotherwise qualify for medical assistanceassistance, an offer of affordable, employer-sponsored insurance as defined in the Affordable Care Act, as an employee or a dependent of an employee, or health care coverage through the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange due to household income.

(b) The plantostudy providemedicalon assistancethe feasibility of providing health care coverage to income-eligible children ages nine to eighteen, inclusive, shall include, butbutnotbelimitedto:(1)Theagegroupsthatwouldbeprovidedmedical notassistance bein limitedeach to:year, and appropriations necessary to provide such assistance, (2) income eligibility criteria and health care coverage consistent withthemedicalassistance programsestablishedpursuant to sections 17b-261 and 17b-292 of the general statutes, and (3) recommendations for identifying and enrolling such children in such coverage.

(1)(c) The agestudy groups that would be provided medical assistance in each fiscal year commencing on Julythe 1,feasibility 2022,of andproviding appropriations necessary to provide such assistance, (2) income eligibility criteria and health care coverage consistentfor adults with thehousehold medicalincome assistancenot programsexceeding establishedtwo pursuanthundred toper sectionscent 17b-261 and 17b-292 of the generalfederal statutes,poverty andlevel (3)shall recommendationsinclude, forbut identifyingnot andbe enrollinglimited suchto: children in a medical assistance program.

(c)(1) TheHousehold planincome caps for expandingadults medicalwho assistancewould coveragebe forprovided adultshealth withcare householdcoverage incomein noteach exceedingyear, twoand hundredappropriations pernecessary centto ofprovide thesuch federalcoverage, poverty(2)health levelcare shallcoverage include,consistent butwiththemedicalassistance notPublic beAct limitedNo. to:

(1)21-176 Household3 income caps for adults who would be provided medical assistance in each fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2022, and appropriations necessary to provide such assistance, (2) health care coverage consistent with the medical assistance programs established pursuant to section 17b-261 of the4 generalHouse statutesBill andNo. the HUSKY D program as defined in section 17b-290 of the general statutes, and (3) recommendations for identifying and enrolling such adults in a medical assistance program.

(d)6687 Notprograms laterestablished thanpursuant Januaryto 1, 2022, the commissioner shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a17b-261 of the general statutes,statutes onand provisionsthe ofHUSKY theD plansprogram toas thedefined jointin standingsection committees17b-290 of the Generalgeneral Assemblystatutes, havingand cognizance(3) ofrecommendations mattersfor relatingidentifying to appropriations and theenrolling budgetssuch ofadults statein agencies,such humancoverage. services and insurance and real estate.

This(d) actNot shalllater takethan effectJuly as1, follows2022, andthe executive director shall amendreport, in accordance with the followingprovisions sections:of section 11-4a of the general statutes, on provisions of the feasibility study to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, human services and insurance and real estate.

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Section(NEW) 1(Effective October 1, 20212021) 17b-261The Sec.Commissioner of Social Services may seek a state innovation waiver pursuant to Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act or enter into contractual agreements, including, but not limited to, contractual agreements with other states, in accordance with established procedures, as may be necessary for the discharge of the commissioner's duties under this act.

2Approved JanuaryJuly 1,12, 20222021 NewPublic sectionAct Sec.No.

321-176 January4 1,of 20224 17b-292(a) Sec.

4 January 1, 2022 New section Sec.

5 from passage New section LCO No.

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