Bill Text: TX HB3776 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishing a program designed to ensure health benefit plan coverage to certain children through the private marketplace.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-19 - Referred to Human Services [HB3776 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB3776-Introduced.html
By: Bernal | H.B. No. 3776 |
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relating to establishing a program designed to ensure health | ||
benefit plan coverage to certain children through the private | ||
marketplace. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle I, Title 4, Government Code, is amended | ||
by adding Chapter 540 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 540. PROGRAM TO ENSURE HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN COVERAGE FOR | ||
CERTAIN CHILDREN THROUGH PRIVATE MARKET SOLUTIONS | ||
Sec. 540.0001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Child health plan program" means the child health | ||
plan program established under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code. | ||
(2) "Medicaid" means the medical assistance program | ||
established under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code. | ||
Sec. 540.0002. PROGRAM FOR HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN COVERAGE FOR | ||
CHILDREN THROUGH PRIVATE MARKET SOLUTIONS. Subject to the | ||
requirements of this chapter, the commission in consultation with | ||
the commissioner of insurance shall develop and implement a program | ||
that helps connect certain children in this state with health | ||
benefit plan coverage through private market solutions. | ||
Sec. 540.0003. ENROLLMENT ELIGIBILITY. (a) Subject to | ||
Subsection (b), a child is eligible to enroll in a program designed | ||
and established under this chapter if the child: | ||
(1) is younger than 19 years of age; | ||
(2) is not eligible for benefits under Medicaid or the | ||
child health plan program because of applicable income limits; and | ||
(3) does not have a health benefit plan because the | ||
child's family does not have access to or cannot afford a plan | ||
through the private marketplace, including: | ||
(A) an employer-sponsored health benefit plan; | ||
or | ||
(B) a health benefit plan for which an enrollee | ||
receives a premium subsidy under the Patient Protection and | ||
Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. No. 111-148) due to the amount of | ||
family income. | ||
(b) The executive commissioner shall further define the | ||
eligibility requirements of this section, including defining | ||
income requirements necessary to enroll in the program. | ||
Sec. 540.0004. MINIMUM PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. A program | ||
designed and established under this chapter must: | ||
(1) provide premium assistance to purchase health | ||
benefit plan coverage for a child in the private market; and | ||
(2) use technology to maximize the efficiency with | ||
which the commission and any health benefit plan issuer manages | ||
enrollee participation. | ||
Sec. 540.0005. RULES. | ||
The executive commissioner may adopt | ||
rules necessary to implement this chapter. | ||
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human | ||
Services Commission shall develop and implement the program | ||
required by Chapter 540, Government Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act | ||
a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a | ||
federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, | ||
the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or | ||
authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the | ||
waiver or authorization is granted. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |