Sec. 17b-311. Charter Oak Health Plan.
Sec. 17b-311. Charter Oak Health Plan. (a) There is established the Charter Oak
Health Plan for the purpose of providing access to health insurance coverage for state
residents who have been uninsured for at least six months and who are ineligible for
other publicly funded health insurance plans. The Commissioner of Social Services may
enter into contracts for the provision of comprehensive health care for such uninsured
state residents. The commissioner shall conduct outreach to facilitate enrollment in
the plan.
(b) The commissioner shall impose cost-sharing requirements in connection with
services provided under the Charter Oak Health Plan. Such requirements may include,
but not be limited to: (1) A monthly premium; (2) an annual deductible not to exceed
one thousand dollars; (3) a coinsurance payment not to exceed twenty per cent after the
deductible amount is met; (4) tiered copayments for prescription drugs determined by
whether the drug is generic or brand name, formulary or nonformulary and whether
purchased through mail order; (5) no fee for emergency visits to hospital emergency
rooms; (6) a copayment not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars for nonemergency visits
to hospital emergency rooms; and (7) a lifetime benefit not to exceed one million dollars.
(c) The Commissioner of Social Services shall provide premium assistance to eligible state residents whose gross annual income does not exceed three hundred per cent
of the federal poverty level. Such premium assistance shall be limited to: (1) One hundred
seventy-five dollars per month for individuals whose gross annual income is below one
hundred fifty per cent of the federal poverty level; (2) one hundred fifty dollars per
month for individuals whose gross annual income is at or above one hundred fifty per
cent of the federal poverty level but not more than one hundred eighty-five per cent of
the federal poverty level; (3) seventy-five dollars per month for individuals whose gross
annual income is above one hundred eighty-five per cent of the federal poverty level
but not more than two hundred thirty-five per cent of the federal poverty level; and (4)
fifty dollars per month for individuals whose gross annual income is above two hundred
thirty-five per cent of the federal poverty level but not more than three hundred per cent
of the federal poverty level. Individuals insured under the Charter Oak Health Plan shall
pay their share of payment for coverage in the plan directly to the insurer.
(d) The Commissioner of Social Services shall determine minimum requirements
on the amount, duration and scope of benefits under the Charter Oak Health Plan, except
that there shall be no preexisting condition exclusion. Each participating insurer shall
provide an internal grievance process by which an insured may request and be provided
a review of a denial of coverage under the plan.
(e) The Commissioner of Social Services may contract with the following entities
for the purposes of this section: (1) A health care center subject to the provisions of
chapter 698a; (2) a consortium of federally qualified health centers and other community-based providers of health services which are funded by the state; or (3) other consortia of providers of health care services established for the purposes of this section. Providers of comprehensive health care services as described in subdivisions (2) and (3) of
this subsection shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter 698a. Any such provider
shall be certified by the commissioner to participate in the Charter Oak Health Plan in
accordance with criteria established by the commissioner, including, but not limited to,
minimum reserve fund requirements.
(f) The Commissioner of Social Services shall seek proposals from entities described in subsection (e) of this section based on the cost sharing and benefits described
in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. The commissioner may approve an alternative
plan in order to make coverage options available to those eligible to be insured under
the plan.
(g) The Commissioner of Social Services, pursuant to section 17b-10, may implement policies and procedures to administer the provisions of this section while in the
process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulation, provided the commissioner prints notice of the intent to adopt the regulation in the Connecticut Law Journal
not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Such policies shall be valid
until the time final regulations are adopted and may include: (1) Exceptions to the requirement that a resident be uninsured for at least six months to be eligible for the Charter
Oak Health Plan; and (2) requirements for open enrollment and limitations on the ability
of enrollees to change plans between such open enrollment periods.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2, S. 23.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2 effective July 1, 2008.