Child health insurance program amendments.

WORKING DRAFT
2006
STATE OF
WYOMING
06LSO-0265

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0035

Child health insurance program amendments.

Sponsored by:
Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; amending eligibility criteria under the child health insurance program to include parents or guardians as specified; providing a maximum participation limit; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

W.S. 35
‑
25
‑
111 is created to read:

35
‑
25
‑
111.

Participation of
p
arents or
g
uardians.

(a)

Subject to the approval of a waiver by the
United States
secretary of health and human services and subject to available state and federal funding, parents or guardians of children enrolled in the child health insurance program or the medical assistance program may be eligible for participation in the programs under the following conditions:

(i)

One (1) of the parents or guardians in the household is working at a full or part
-
time job;

(ii)

If the parents are separated or divorced, the noncustodial parent shall not be eligible for participation in the program;

(iii)

The employer of the participating parent or guardian agrees to pay for at least one-half
(1/2)
of the monthly premiums of the health insurance plan selected by the parent or guardian under the provisions of
subsection
(b)
of this section
. For program participants who work less than an average of thirty (30) hours per week, the department may waive this provision and collect an hourly fee from the employer.

(b)

Parents or guardians may participate in the program through the employer
'
s health insurance plan or through a group plan contracted by the department for program participants under the provisions of W.S. 35
‑
25
‑
106(a). The department shall assess the qualifying parents and guardians a participation fee. The amount of the fee may vary depending upon the level of income greater than
one hundred thirty-three percent (
133%
)
of the federal poverty level. Parents or guardians with a household income of
one hundred thirty-three percent (
133%
)
of the federal poverty level or less shall not be assessed a participation fee.

(c)

In the group plan offered by the department, the package of benefits available to participating parents and guardians may vary depending upon qualifying household income. The plan offered by an employer is not subject to a benchmark set of benefits.

(d)

If the parent or guardian is covered through an employer
'
s group health insurance plan, the total amount of funding provided to the parent or guardian to participate in the employer
'
s plan shall not exceed the cost that the department would pay for participation in the plan provided under W.S. 35
‑
25
‑
106(a), minus the employer
'
s contribution
under paragraph (a)(iii) of this section
and the employee
'
s contribution under
subsection
(b)
of this section
.

(e)

Students who are attending the
U
niversity of Wyoming or a state community college
shall not be disqualified pursuant to paragraph (a)(i) of this section
provided they qualify under the work-study provisions of the temporary assistance to needy families program.

(f)

The total enrollment of parents, guardians and students through the waiver in the child health insurance program or the medical assistance program shall not exceed three thousand seven hundred twenty (3,720)
for the 2007-2008 bienni
a
and the total enrollment for future biennium shall be as determined in the applicable budget bill
.

Section 2.

Three million three hundred fifty thousand dollars ($3,350,000.00) in federal funds and one million six hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,650,000.00) from the general fund is appropriated to the department of health for case service expenditures as provided in this act.
Three hundred thirty-five thousand dollars ($335,000.00) in federal funds and one hundred sixty-five thousand dollars ($165,000.00) from the general fund is appropriated and three (3) full-time positions authorized to the department of health to administer the provisions of this section.

Section
3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2006.

(END)

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HB0035