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2006 SESSION

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HB 761 Health group cooperatives; established for arranging benefit plan coverage for small employers.

Introduced by: Phillip A. Hamilton | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

Small employer health group pooling.  Authorizes the establishment of cooperatives for the purpose of offering, providing or facilitating the provision of coverage for health care services to participating small employers. Membership in health group cooperatives is limited to employers with not more than 50 eligible employees. A small employer health group cooperative is deemed to be a single entity for purposes of negotiating the terms, including premium rates of coverage.  Cooperatives shall elect to either be the policyholder of a group policy covering employer-members or a sponsoring entity that facilitates the provision of separate policies for each of its employer-members.  If a cooperative elects to be the group policyholder, the agreement shall address the collection of funds from employer-members when one employer-member fails to remit its share of the premium.

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE:

Small employer health group pooling.  Authorizes the establishment of cooperatives for the purpose of offering, providing or facilitating the provision of coverage for health care services to participating small employers. Membership in health group cooperatives is limited to employers with not more than 50 eligible employees. A small employer health group cooperative is deemed to be a single entity for purposes of negotiating the terms, including premium rates of coverage.  Cooperatives shall elect to either be the policyholder of a group policy covering employer-members or a sponsoring entity that facilitates the provision of separate policies for each of its employer-members.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Small employer health group cooperatives.  Authorizes the establishment of cooperatives for the purpose of arranging group health benefit plan coverage for small employers. Membership in health group cooperatives is limited to employers with not more than 50 eligible employees. A health group cooperative composed only of small employers is deemed to be a single employer for purposes of provisions relating to rates and issuance and renewal of coverage. Group health benefits plans issued by carriers for coverage with a cooperative are exempt from mandates for coverage of a particular illnesses, disease or treatment, except coverage for diabetes treatment.