PA 16-21—HB 5379

Aging Committee

Human Services Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING REMOVAL OF OBSOLETE PROVISIONS FROM THE CHOICES HEALTH INSURANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM STATUTE

SUMMARY: This act eliminates a reporting requirement related to the CHOICES program, which provides seniors and Medicare beneficiaries with, among other things, health insurance information and counseling.

Specifically, the act removes a provision authorizing the insurance commissioner, in cooperation with or on behalf of the aging commissioner, to require that certain Medicare organizations (i. e. , those administering Medicare managed care plans) submit to the insurance commissioner:

1. annual data, reports, or information relevant to plan beneficiaries and

2. when changes occur, information on current benefits, services, or costs to beneficiaries.

It also eliminates related provisions requiring:

1. Medicare organizations that fail to file the annual data reports or information to pay a $100 per day late fee and

2. the insurance commissioner, in conjunction with the healthcare advocate, to annually submit, to the governor and the Aging, Human Services, and Insurance committees, a list of Medicare organizations that fail to file the annual data, reports, or information.

The act also makes a conforming technical change.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2016

OLR Tracking: ND; JR; PF; bs