HCS/SCS#2/SB 9 - This act modifies provisions relating to the MO HealthNet Oversight Committee, Hospital District Sales Tax Funds, and Health insurance
MO HEALTHNET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
This act modifies the membership of the MO HealthNet Oversight Committee from eighteen to nineteen members. One of the patient advocate members was eliminated from the makeup of the committee. The remaining advocate shall work with MO HealthNet participants and be recommended by a Missouri patient advocacy group that does not contract, directly or indirectly with MO HealthNet. One new optometrist and one new mental health professional was added with the same requirements for the other health care professional members.
The requirements as to the primary care physician, physician, dentist, and nonphysician health care professional members were modified to specify that the respective health care professionals shall actively care for participants and shall be recommended by any Missouri professional association or society that consists exclusively of the respective individual health care professional or student health care professional members.
The requirements as to the consumer representative and the public member were modified so that the members shall not be a health care worker and shall not either contract with, own or represent entities or individuals or be employed by entities or individuals contracting directly or indirectly with MO HealthNet. SECTION 208.955
HEALTH INSURANCE
Under the act, a health carrier that has not paid a claimant on or before the 45th processing day must pay one percent interest per month on the claim. Under current law, a health carrier has 45 calendar days to pay the claim before the interest charges begin to accrue. This provision is similar to provisions in HB 589 (2009) and HB 259 (2009). SECTION 376.383
Health insurance carriers offering health benefit plans which are delivered, issued, continued, or renewed on or after August 28, 2010, must offer group coverage for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for necessary medical services for enrollees diagnosed with the disorder. ASD is defined as a neurobiological disorder, an illness of the nervous system, which includes Autistic disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Any individual providing the medical services must be a licensed health care practitioner. Coverage for ASD can be subject to plan restrictions, exclusions, and limitations and will not include services, supplies, or equipment that comes from a publicly funded program, is provided by a family member on unlicensed provider, is considered educational or instructional, or is not directly provided to the individual with the ASD. Individually sold health benefit plans and certain other supplemental insurance policies are not subject to the ASD coverage requirements. This provision is similar to HB 589 (2009). SECTION 376.1214
HOSPITAL DISTRICT SALES TAX FUND
Authorizes hospital districts in certain counties, including Ripley County, upon voter approval, to abolish the hospital district property tax and impose a retail sales tax of up to one percent for the purpose of funding the hospital district. Moneys collected from the tax will be deposited into the newly created Hospital District Sales Tax Fund with one percent of such revenues retained and deposited into general revenue by the Director of the Department of Revenue for the cost of collection.
This provision is similar to provisions in CCS/HCS/SS/SB 307 (2009), HB 1181 (2009), HCS/SCS/SB's 165, 164, 248 &168 (2009), and HB 958 (2009). SECTION 205.202
ADRIANE CROUSE