Bill Summary for H 655 (2019-2020)

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Summary date: 

Jul 9 2019

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2019-2020 Session
House Bill 655 (Public) Filed Tuesday, April 9, 2019
AN ACT TO PROVIDE HEALTH COVERAGE TO RESIDENTS OF NORTH CAROLINA UNDER THE NC HEALTH CARE FOR WORKING FAMILIES PROGRAM AND TO ESTABLISH THE NORTH CAROLINA RURAL ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE GRANT PROGRAM.
Intro. by Lambeth, Murphy, Dobson, White.

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Bill summary

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Part I.

Amends the sources of funding for the NC Health Care for Working Families program, to provide that the State and county share of costs not covered by federal funds or participant contributions will be funded through intergovernmental transfers, gross premiums tax revenue, and hospital assessments (was, intergovernmental transfers and health care-related assessments, including but not limited to, hospital assessments). 

Requires that if the program approved by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services fails to substantially comply with the program components (was, fails to comply with any of the program components) required by this act, then the NC Health Care for Working Families program must not be implemented and the Department of Health and Human Services must stop all implementation activities. Provides that if legislation to ensure that the State and county share of costs not covered by federal funds, participant contributions, or increased gross premiums tax revenue (was, federal funds or participant contributions only) will be funded through a new hospital assessment (was, through health care-related assessments) is not enacted, then the NC Health Care for Working Families program must not be implemented and DHHS must continue to seek federal approval for the program but must stop all other implementation activities until the necessary legislation is enacted.

Part II.

Amends proposed GS 108B-31, Rural Access to Healthcare Grant Fund, by adding that an appropriation under the statute is a statutory appropriation. Requires the Director of the Budget, when developing the base budget, to include the following appropriations to the North Carolina Rural Access to Healthcare Grant Fund (Grant Fund): (1) $25 million for 2020-21, (2) $30 million for 2021-22, and (3) $50 million for 2022-23 and every fiscal year thereafter. 

Removes the provision that provided that if H114 (an act to subject prepaid health plans licensed by the Department of Insurance to the gross premium tax) became law, then it was the NCGA's intent to appropriate funds to the North Carolina Rural Access to Healthcare Grant Fund in an amount that represents the amount of revenue from the gross premiums tax attributable to capitation payments received by prepaid health plans as a result of the implementation of the NC Health Care for Working Families program.

Provides that the funds appropriated to the Grant Fund are intended to represent a portion of the amount of revenue from the gross premium tax attributable to capitation payments received by prepaid health plans as a result of the implementation of the NC Health Care for Working Families program. 

Adds that the act is effective only if H966, 2019 Appropriations Act, becomes law.