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HB0172 • 2020

Air ambulance-Medicaid coverage amendments.

AN ACT relating to Medicaid; requiring the state employees' and officials' group insurance plan to offer air ambulance services under the air ambulance transport services program only upon federal approval of the program; requiring state agency reimbursement for air ambulance services provided under the air ambulance transport services program only upon federal approval of the program; making the operation of air ambulance provisions in Medicaid statutes contingent upon federal approval of the air ambulance transport services program; making the payment of premium taxes for the air ambulance transport services program contingent upon federal approval of the program; making workers' compensation coverage for air ambulance services under Medicaid contingent upon federal approval of the air ambulance transport services program; and providing for an effective date.

Healthcare Labor Taxes
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Representative Barlow
Last action
2020-03-09
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
3/9/2020

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Air Ambulance Services for Medicaid

This law changes how Wyoming handles air ambulance services under Medicaid, making it dependent on federal approval.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires state insurance plans to offer air ambulance services only if the federal government approves them.
  • Makes state agencies pay for air ambulance services only after getting federal approval.
  • Changes Medicaid rules about air ambulances so they depend on federal approval.
  • Limits premium taxes by insurance companies until there is federal approval.
  • Requires workers' compensation to cover air ambulances only if the plan gets federal approval.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who use Medicaid in Wyoming
  • State agencies and insurance providers

Terms To Know

Medicaid
A government program that helps people with low income pay for medical care.
Federal approval
When the federal government agrees to a plan or proposal.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only works if the federal government approves the air ambulance program.
  • It does not say what happens if the federal government denies approval again in the future.

Bill History

  1. 2020-03-09 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 22

  2. 2020-03-09 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0017

  3. 2020-03-05 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0017

  4. 2020-03-05 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0017

  5. 2020-03-04 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0017

  6. 2020-03-04 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 22-8-0-0-0

  7. 2020-03-03 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2020-03-02 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  9. 2020-02-28 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  10. 2020-02-28 Senate

    S10 - Labor:Recommend Do Pass 4-1-0-0-0

  11. 2020-02-27 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S10 - Labor

  12. 2020-02-27 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  13. 2020-02-26 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 58-1-1-0-0

  14. 2020-02-26 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2020-02-25 House

    H COW:Passed

  16. 2020-02-18 House

    H Placed on General File

  17. 2020-02-18 House

    H10 - Labor:Recommend Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0

  18. 2020-02-13 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor 54-6-0-0-0

  19. 2020-02-12 House

    H Received for Introduction

  20. 2020-02-11 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 20LSO-0519
Bill No.:

HB0172

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

20LSO-0519

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0017

Chapter No.:

22

Prime Sponsor:

Barlow

Catch Title:

Air ambulance-Medicaid coverage amendments.

Subject:

Air ambulance coverage - Medicaid.

Summary/Major Elements:

In 2019, the Wyoming Legislature created the Air Ambulance Transport Services Program by authorizing the Department of Health and Department of Insurance to submit for federal approval a plan to provide Medicaid coverage to all Wyoming citizens for the purpose of air ambulance services. A plan was submitted to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the plan was denied.

Parts of the 2019 law were designed to accommodate the approval of the plan and were not written to accommodate a denial of the plan.

The bill amends the law passed in 2019 to make its operation contingent upon federal approval of a plan. Specifically:
The bill requires the State Employees' and Officials' Group Insurance Plan to offer air ambulance services under the Air Ambulance Transport Services Program only upon federal approval of the Program.
The bill requires state agency reimbursement for air ambulance services provided under the Air Ambulance Transport Services Program only upon federal approval of the Program.
The bill makes the operation of air ambulance provisions in Medicaid statutes contingent upon federal approval of the Air Ambulance Transport Services Program.
The bill makes the payment of premium taxes by insurance providers under the Air Ambulance Transport Services Program contingent upon federal approval of the Program.
The bill makes workers' compensation coverage for air ambulance services under Medicaid contingent upon federal approval of the Air Ambulance Transport Services Program.
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
20LSO-0519

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0172

ENROLLED ACT NO. 17,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2020 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to Medicaid; requiring the state employees' and officials' group insurance plan to offer air ambulance services under the air ambulance transport services program only upon federal approval of the program; requiring state agency reimbursement for air ambulance services provided under the air ambulance transport services program only upon federal approval of the program; making the operation of air ambulance provisions in Medicaid statutes contingent upon federal approval of the air ambulance transport services program; making the payment of premium taxes for the air ambulance transport services program contingent upon federal approval of the program; making workers' compensation coverage for air ambulance services under Medicaid contingent upon federal approval of the air ambulance transport services program; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
219(a) and (b) and 42
‑
4
‑
123(b) as created by
2019 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 189, Section 2 are amended to read:

9
‑
3
‑
219.

Air ambulance transport services for employees, officials and dependents; reimbursement; sunset
.

(a)

Emergency and medically necessary air ambulance transport services for employees, officials and their dependents shall be covered under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123, subject to availability and any limitations specified by the department of health under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123(a)
and subject to operation of the air ambulance transport services program under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123(b)
.

(b)

Contingent on operation of the air ambulance transport services program under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123(b), t
he department of administration and information shall pay reimbursement for services under this section to the department of health, as specified under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123.

42
‑
4
‑
123.

Air ambulance transport services for Wyoming residents; sunset
.

(b)

Contingent on federal approval under subsection (a) of this section, there is created the air ambulance transport services program under the department.
Operation of the air ambulance services program as provided in subsections (c) through (p) of this section shall be contingent on the federal approval required by subsection (a) of this section.

Section 2.

W.S. 26
‑
4
‑
102(b)(iii), 26
‑
4
‑
103(n) and 27
‑
14
‑
401(j) as amended by
2019 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 189, Section 3 are amended to read:

26
‑
4
‑
102.

Record of receipts; payment to treasurer; credit to fund
.

(b)

The commissioner shall promptly deposit all monies he receives from any charges to the general fund, with receipt and acknowledgement submitted to the state treasurer, except that:

(iii)

Any p
remium assessments collected under W.S. 26
‑
4
‑
103(n), which shall be transferred to the air ambulance coverage account not more than thirty (30) days after receipt.

26
‑
4
‑
103.

Premium taxes; generally; preemption by state
.

(n)

At the same time a report under subsection (a) of this section is filed, an insurer making private health benefit plans available in this state, and any plan which has entered into agreement under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123(j), shall pay to the commissioner a three
‑
quarter percent (.75%) assessment upon net premiums and net considerations. The commissioner shall, not more than thirty (30) days after receipt, transfer premium assessments paid under this subsection to the air ambulance coverage account.
Application of this subsection shall be c
ontingent on operation of the air ambulance transport services program under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123(b).

27
‑
14
‑
401.

Medical, hospital and ambulance expenses; review of claim; employer and division designated providers; contracts for bill review, case management and related programs; air ambulance reimbursement
.

(j)

Emergency and medically necessary air ambulance transport services for an employee shall be covered under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123, subject to availability and any limitations specified by the department under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123(a). The department of workforce services shall pay reimbursement for services under this section to the department of health as specified under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123.
Application of this subsection shall be contingent on operation of the air ambulance transport services program under W.S. 42
‑
4
‑
123(b).

Section 3.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(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

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