Governor Deval Patrick's Budget Recommendation - House 2 Fiscal Year 2011

Governor's Budget Recommendation FY 2011

Outside Section 27



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Commonwealth Care Bridge Program Reauthorization

SECTION 27.   (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, an eligible individual pursuant to section 3 of chapter 118H of the General Laws shall not include persons who cannot receive federally-funded benefits under sections 401, 402 and 403 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-193, as amended, for fiscal year 2011.

(b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the secretary of administration and finance, the secretary of health and human services and the executive director of the commonwealth health insurance connector authority, in their full discretion and subject only to the terms and conditions in this subsection, may establish or designate a health insurance plan in which a person who cannot receive federally-funded benefits under said sections 401, 402 and 403 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-193, as amended, and who is also an eligible individual pursuant to section 3 of chapter 118H of the General Laws, may enroll for a period not to exceed July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011, inclusive. This plan may be contracted for selectively from the health plans that contracted in fiscal year 2010 to provide insurance coverage to commonwealth care or MassHealth enrollees. Total state costs of providing coverage to all such persons, net of enrollee contributions and any federal financial participation, shall not exceed $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2011. To the extent that additional federal financial participation becomes available for paying the costs of such coverage, the secretary of administration and finance may direct the comptroller to make such amounts available from the General Fund for the purpose of paying the costs of such coverage. If the secretary of administration and finance, the secretary of health and human services and the executive director of the commonwealth health insurance connector authority determine that the projected costs of enrolling eligible individuals in such coverage in fiscal year 2011 will exceed net state costs of $75,000,000, they may limit enrollment in such coverage. If the secretary of administration and finance, the secretary of health and human services and the executive director of the commonwealth health insurance connector authority are unable to establish or designate a health insurance plan under this section, the secretary of administration and finance may direct the comptroller to transfer up to $75,000,000 from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund for the cost of health safety net claims of these individuals.
 
 

Summary:
This section reauthorizes for fiscal year 2011 the Commonwealth Care Bridge program, which provides health care benefits for certain legal immigrants.



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