HB0045 • 2015

Health care sharing ministry.

AN ACT relating to the insurance code; excluding health care sharing ministries from the provisions of the insurance code; providing a definition; and providing for an effective date.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Representative Barlow
Last action: 2015-03-05
Official status: enrolled
Effective date: 7/1/2015

Plain English Breakdown

The plain English breakdown is still being put together. The official documents below are already here.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0045SS001

Standing Committee • SCorporations

Adopted

Plain English: Adopted Standing Committee by SCorporations

This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
The official amendment text was available, but an easy plain-English summary could not be produced automatically during the last sync.

Bill History

2015-03-05 LSO
Assigned Chapter Number
2015-03-05 Governor
Governor Signed HEA No. 0082
2015-03-03 Senate
S President Signed HEA No. 0082
2015-03-02 House
H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0082
2015-02-27 LSO
Assigned Number HEA No. 0082
2015-02-27 House
H Concur:Passed 55-0-5-0-0
2015-02-27 House
H Received for Concurrence
2015-02-27 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 21-9-0-0-0
2015-02-26 Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2015-02-25 Senate
S COW:Passed
2015-02-25 Senate
Amendment Adopted
2015-02-24 Senate
S Placed on General File
2015-02-24 Senate
Corporations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 3-1-1-0-0
2015-02-09 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations
2015-01-30 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2015-01-30 House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 60-0-0-0-0
2015-01-29 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2015-01-28 House
H COW:Passed
2015-01-27 House
H Placed on General File
2015-01-27 House
Corporations:Recommend Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0
2015-01-14 House
H Introduced and Referred to H07 - Corporations
2015-01-13 House
H Received for Introduction
2015-01-02 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Summary for LSO115
Bill No.:
HB0045
Effective
:
7/1/2015

LSO No.:
15LSO-0273

Enrolled Act No.:
HEA 82

Chapter No.:
123

Prime Sponsor:
Barlow

Catch Title:
Health care sharing ministry.

Subject:
Exempts health care sharing ministries from the Insurance Code.

Summary/Major Elements:

Starting in 2014,
the Affordable Care Act required
individual
s
to have qualifying health care coverage,
to
qualify for an exemption
or to pay a tax penalty. The act includes an exemption from the coverage requirement and insurer regulation for persons who share medical expenses through a faith-based
health care
sharing ministry.

This act creates a similar exemption under state law
by exempting
health care sharing ministries
from all provisions of the
I
nsurance
C
ode
.

The act defines health care sharing ministries as faith-based non-profit organizations that coordinate financial sharing of medical expenses among willing participants, that have annual financial audits and that provide a disclaimer to participants regarding the organization
’
s exemption from health insurance laws.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ORIGINAL
House
Bill No
.
HB0045

ENROLLED ACT NO. 82,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2015 General Session

AN ACT relating to the insurance code; excluding health care sharing ministries from the provisions of the insurance code; providing a definition; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 26
‑
1
‑
104(
a) by creating a new paragraph (v) is amended to read:

26
‑
1
‑
104
.

Applicability of provisions.

(a)

This code does not apply to:

(v)

Health care sharing ministries. As used in this section, "health care sharing ministry" means a faith
‑
based nonprofit organization that is tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code and which:

(A)

Coordinates financial sharing for medical expenses among willing participants in accordance with criteria established by the health
care
sharing ministry;

(B)

Has annual audits performed by an independent certified public accountant that are available upon request; and

(C)

Includes a written disclaimer on or accompanying all applications and guideline materials distributed by or on behalf of the organization that reads in substance: "Notice: The organization facilitating the sharing of medical expenses is not an insurance company, and neither its guidelines nor plan of operation is an insurance policy. Any assistance with your medical bills
is completely voluntary. No other participant is compelled by law or otherwise to contribute toward your medical bills. Participation in the organization or a subscription to any of its documents shall not be considered to be health insurance
and is not subject to the regulatory requirements or consumer protections of the Wyoming insurance code.
You are personally responsible for payment of your medical bills regardless of any financial sharing you may receive from the organization for medical expenses. You are also responsible for payment of your medical bills if the organization ceases to exist or ceases to facilitate the sharing of medical expenses."

Section
2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2015
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk