SCS/SB 203 - The Ticket to Work Health Assurance Program provides medical assistance through MO HealthNet for employed, disabled persons who meet certain qualifications, including asset limits and earned, net, and gross income calculations. Under current law, disabled individuals whose income exceeds one hundred percent of the federal poverty level pay a premium for participation in the program. If an eligible person's employer offers employer-sponsored health insurance and the Department of Social Services determines the employer-sponsored insurance is more cost effective, the department will instead pay that person's costs for the employer-sponsored health insurance. This act changes the Ticket to Work Health Assurance Program to the "MO HealthNet Buy-in for Workers with Disabilities Program." MO HealthNet Buy-In differs from the Ticket to Work Health Assurance Program in the following ways: (1) modifies the asset limit calculation to be $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for married couples, with a cost of living increase each year beginning in fiscal year 2020; (2) modifies the income calculation from a net/gross calculation to a broader definition that would consider income for those disabled persons with incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level, while retaining the requirement that persons with incomes over 100% of the federal poverty level pay a premium; (3) $75,000 of earned income of a spouse shall be disregarded from income calculations; (4) if the Department elects to pay the person's costs of employer-sponsored health insurance, MO HealthNet assistance shall be provided as a secondary or supplemental policy; (5) the Department shall provide an annual report to the General Assembly concerning the number of participants and outreach and education efforts; and (6) the expiration provision for the program of August 29, 2019, has been removed.
This act is similar to HB 769 (2017) and SB 925 (2016).
SARAH HASKINS