Substitute Senate Bill No. 328
          Substitute Senate Bill No. 328

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 98-194


AN ACT CONCERNING THE CONNPACE APPLICATION PROCESS
FOR THOSE WHO EXHAUST PRIVATE INSURANCE COVERAGE.


    Be it enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section  1. Section  17b-492  of  the  general
statutes, as amended  by section 128 of public act
97-2 of the June 18 special session, is amended by
adding subsections (c) and (d) as follows:
    (NEW) (c) Any  eligible  resident  who  (1) is
insured under a  policy  which  provides  full  or
partial coverage for  prescription  drugs  and (2)
expects to exhaust  such  coverage,  may  apply to
participate in the program prior to the exhaustion
of such coverage.  Such application shall be valid
for the applicable  income year. To be included in
the program, on  or  after  the date the applicant
exhausts such coverage,  he  or his designee shall
notify  the  department   that  such  coverage  is
exhausted  and, if  required  by  the  department,
shall submit evidence  of  exhaustion of coverage.
Not later than ten days after an eligible resident
submits such evidence, he shall be included in the
program. The program shall (A) cover prescriptions
that  are  not   covered  by  any  other  plan  of
insurance or assistance  available to the eligible
resident and that  meet  the  requirements of this
chapter   and   (B)   retroactively   cover   such
prescriptions filled after  or  concurrently  with
the exhaustion of  such  coverage. Nothing in this
subsection  shall  be   construed   to  prevent  a
resident  from  applying  to  participate  in  the
program as otherwise permitted by this chapter and
regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter.
    (NEW) (d) The  Commissioner of Social Services
may  adopt  regulations  in  accordance  with  the
provisions  of  chapter   54   to   implement  the
provisions of subsection (c) of this section. Such
regulations  may  provide   for   the   electronic
transmission  of  relevant   coverage  information
between a pharmacist and the department or between
an insurer and the department in order to expedite
applications and notice.
    Sec. 2. This  act  shall  take  effect July 1,
1998.

Approved June 4, 1998