HCS/SB 508 - This act modifies various provisions relating to health insurance.STATE LEGAL EXPENSE FUND
Currently, for the purposes of the State Legal Expense Fund a free health clinic is defined as a nonprofit community health center, exempt from federal taxation, which provides primary care and preventative services to people without health insurance without charge. This act changes the term "free health clinic" to "community health clinic" and modifies its definition by removing the without charge qualification.
The act also excludes federally funded community health centers and rural health clinics from the description of nonprofit community health centers for the purposes of the State Legal Expense Fund (105.711).
This provision is identical to a provision in CCS/SS/SCS/HCS/HB 1231 (2014), CCS/HCS/SS#2/SB 754 (2014), and HCS/SS/SB 758 (2014).
SCHIP
This act changes section references within the SCHIP to remove any reference relating to the uninsured women's health program. This act also removes the requirement that parents annually prove their total net worth is below $250,000 and changes the ineligibility period for children whose parents have failed to meet copayment or premium obligations from six months to ninety days.
These provisions are similar to provisions in HB 2080 (2014), HCS/SS/SB 498 (2014), HCS/SCS/SB 524 (2014), and CCS/HCS/SS#2/SB 754 (2014).
INSURANCE MANDATE EXEMPTION
This act also exempts health benefit plans categorized as "excepted benefit plans" from requirements of any health insurance mandate, but requires that such excepted benefit plans shall provide a disclaimer conspicuously indicating that the plan is not minimum essential coverage on policies, certificates, application and enrollment forms, advertising materials, and plan identification cards.
This provision is similar to HCS/HB 2209 (2014), HCS/SS/SB 498 (2014), and HCS/SCS/SB 524 (2014).
HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE NAVIGATORS
This act also requires that an applicant for a navigator license must take an exam administered by the Department of Insurance or an independent testing service with which the Department has contracted and requires applicants for individual licenses to provide two sets of fingerprints to the state highway patrol for the purpose of doing Missouri and federal criminal record checks. An individual found to have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor offense involving fraud or dishonesty shall not be issued a license.
This provision is similar to provisions in HCS/SS/SB 498 (2014) and HB 1668 (2014).
MICHELA BIRK