Bill Text: DE SB21 | 2011-2012 | 146th General Assembly | Draft

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Bill Title: An Act To Amend Title 16 Of The Delaware Code Relating To The Delaware Healthy Children Program.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-4-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-26 - Amendment SA 1 - Introduced and Placed With the Bill in Senate [SB21 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2011-SB21-Draft.html

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SPONSOR:	Sen. Blevins & Sen. Sorenson & Rep. Schooley & Rep. George & Rep. Kowalko
	Sens. Bushweller, Cloutier, Connor, Ennis, Hall-Long, Henry, Peterson, Sokola; Reps. Barbieri, Bolden, Heffernan, Jaques, Q. Johnson, Keeley, Osienski, Ramone, Walker

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

146th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE BILL NO. 21

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HEALTHY CHILDREN PROGRAM.

WHEREAS, the Delaware Healthy Children Program serves low-income children who would otherwise be uninsured; and

WHEREAS, only 45% of eligible children in Delaware are enrolled in the Delaware Healthy Children Program; and

WHEREAS, enrollment in the Delaware Healthy Children Program is declining; and

WHEREAS, it is known that children with health insurance are more likely to be immunized, to be healthier, and to have better school attendance; and

WHEREAS, studies indicate that a child's physical and intellectual development is greatly benefited by good health care; and

WHEREAS, because enrollment in the Program is declining, it is incumbent upon the State to make every effort to combat this trend; and

WHEREAS, it is critical that Delaware identify enrollment barriers so as to be eligible for the federal funds available for this program; and

WHEREAS, the Program's requirement that participants pay a premium is a barrier to enrollment; and

WHEREAS, working poor families whose children would benefit most from the Program find themselves faced with the financial stresses of housing costs, utility bills, transportation, child care and food; and 

WHEREAS, paying the premium may become difficult for a low income working family to manage, especially when their children are otherwise healthy;

NOW THEREFORE:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1.Amend §9909(d), Title 16, Delaware Code by deleting subsection (d) in its entirety and by substituting in lieu thereof the following:

"(d)The Program shall be designed to provide the ability to purchase insurance at a reasonable cost to uninsured Delaware children without access to affordable health insurance through their parents'/guardians' employers.The Program shall offer a managed care product that, while it shall not require participants to pay regular premiums, may consider the institution of a minimal co-payment for health services.The Program shall be designed to create incentives for participants to use health services in a prudent and responsible fashion.The Program shall also be designed to minimize the ability of private employers who provide health insurance coverage for their employees to eliminate such coverage, and, to the extent practicable, provide incentives for employers who provide no health insurance coverage for their employees to begin to provide such coverage."

SYNOPSIS

This Act removes the provision requiring that participants in the Delaware Healthy Children Program pay a premium to participate, while allowing the Department of Health and Social Services to consider instituting minimal co-payments for health services in order to recover a portion of the revenue that would be lost due to the absence of premium payments.Removing the premium payment may reverse declining enrollment in the Program and increase the number of children in Delaware who have health insurance coverage.

Author: Senator Blevins