Bill No.:                     HB0203                                 Drafter:  IDS

LSO No.:                   13LSO-0441                         Effective Date:  Immediate

Enrolled Act No.:    HEA0119

Chapter No.:            CH0116

Prime Sponsor:       Representative Harvey

Catch Title:              Health benefit exchange study and select committee.

Subject:                     Study and select committee on health insurance exchanges.

Summary/Major Elements:

· Under the Affordable Care Act, a federally facilitated health insurance exchange will be operated in Wyoming.

· This legislation establishes a select committee, comprised of legislators, to study the federal government’s operation of the health insurance exchange in all its parts and functions in order to determine whether it would be to Wyoming’s advantage to assume a part of the operation of the exchange.  The study must identify the benefits and detriments of assuming any function, the costs of assuming the function and the methods by which Wyoming could conduct the function.

· The study must analyze how the operation of a federally facilitated exchange in Wyoming has impacted health insurance purchasers, employers, health insurance companies, health insurance sellers and the state.

· The legislation requires the Department of Health to conduct a study of the exchange’s qualification of health insurance applicants for Medicaid.  The results of this portion of the study must be completed by September 1, 2014.

· The legislation requires consideration of the state entering into interstate compacts with other states for the purpose of offering health insurance to residents of this state.

· The legislation limits any state actor’s ability to enroll Wyoming in any Medicaid expansion under the ACA until further action of the Legislature.

· The legislation requires the department of insurance to apply for grants to fund the required analysis.

· The legislation makes an appropriation to pay the expenses of the select committee.

Comments:   A preliminary report is required by December 1, 2013, which must recommend whether Wyoming should participle in an exchange and, if so, what functions it should assume.  A final report is required by October 1, 2014.