Bill Text: PA HB500 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Providing for continuation of adultBasic Act, for the authority of the Insurance Commissioner to transfer funds and for repayment of funds; and making a related repeal.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 73-3)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-04 - Referred to INSURANCE [HB500 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HB500-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 455
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 500 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY DeLUCA, BARBIN, STURLA, PASHINSKI, BISHOP, B. BOYLE, K. BOYLE, BRADFORD, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, V. BROWN, BURNS, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, COHEN, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, CURRY, DALEY, DAVIS, DAVIDSON, DEASY, DePASQUALE, DERMODY, DeWEESE, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GERBER, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, HALUSKA, HANNA, HARHAI, HARKINS, JOHNSON, JOSEPHS, KAVULICH, W. KELLER, MALONEY, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KOTIK, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MANN, MATZIE, McGEEHAN, MIRABITO, MUNDY, MURPHY, MYERS, M. O'BRIEN, PARKER, PAYTON, PRESTON, READSHAW, SABATINA, SAINATO, SAMUELSON, SANTARSIERO, SANTONI, SHAPIRO, K. SMITH, STABACK, VITALI, WAGNER, WATERS AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 4, 2011
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE, FEBRUARY 4, 2011
AN ACT
Providing for continuation of adultBasic Act, for the authority
of the Insurance Commissioner to transfer funds and for
repayment of funds; and making a related repeal.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Continuation
of adultBasic Act.
Section 2. Findings.
The General Assembly finds and declares that:
(1) The adultBasic program was established by the act of
June 26, 2001 (P.L.755, No.77), known as the Tobacco
Settlement Act and provides insurance coverage for the basic
health care needs of individuals between 19 and 64 years of
age who do not have health insurance and who do not have
income in excess of 200% of the Federal poverty level.
(2) At the present time there are more than 40,000
Pennsylvanians enrolled in the adultBasic program and another
450,000 individuals are on the wait list to obtain coverage.
(3) The adultBasic program has provided health insurance
for thousands of Pennsylvanians and thus provided them with
access to quality health care.
(4) Funding for the adultBasic program has been provided
through the national Tobacco Settlement Agreement and the
Community Health Reinvestment Agreement, an agreement under
which the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans contributed a
percentage of their premiums to the adultBasic program.
(5) The Community Health Reinvestment Agreement expired
on December 31, 2010, creating a shortfall of revenues with
which to continue adultBasic coverage for more than 40,000
individuals through June of this year.
(6) Absent the identification and implementation of
another funding source, the 40,000 Pennsylvanians currently
enrolled in the adultBasic program will lose their health
insurance coverage.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"AdultBasic program." The program established under Chapter
13 of the act of June 26, 2001 (P.L.755, No.77), known as the
Tobacco Settlement Act.
"Commissioner." The Insurance Commissioner of the
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Commonwealth.
Section 4. Transfer of funds.
(a) Authority.--The commissioner may transfer sufficient
funds from the Catastrophic Loss Benefits Continuation Fund, or
another fund under his administration and management which may
be appropriate, as is necessary to continue the adultBasic
program through June 30, 2011.
(b) Repayment.--A transfer made under this subsection shall
be repaid with interest under section 2 of the act of August 22,
1961 (P.L.1049, No.479), entitled "An act authorizing the State
Treasurer under certain conditions to transfer sums of money
between the General Fund and certain funds and subsequent
transfers of equal sums between such funds, and making
appropriations necessary to effect such transfers."
Section 5. Funding.
Notwithstanding the provisions of 75 Pa.C.S. § 6506(b)
(relating to surcharge) or section 712(m) of the act of March
20, 2002 (P.L.154, No.13), known as the Medical Care
Availability and Reduction of Error (Mcare) Act, beginning July
1, 2011, surcharges levied and collected under 75 Pa.C.S. §
6506(a) by a division of the unified judicial system shall be
remitted to the Commonwealth, and shall be used to repay loans
made from the fund selected by the commissioner under this act
to continue the adultBasic program during fiscal year 2010-2011.
Thereafter, and once all loans have been repaid, the surcharges
levied and collected under 75 Pa.C.S. § 6506(a) shall be
deposited into the General Fund.
Section 19. Repeals are as follows:
(1) The General Assembly declares that the repeal under
paragraph (2) is necessary to effectuate this act.
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(2) Section 712(m) of the act of March 20, 2002
(P.L.154, No.13), known as the Medical Care Availability and
Reduction of Error (Mcare) Act is repealed.
Section 20. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
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