CONCEPT DRAFT

SUMMARY

This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.

This bill proposes to:

1. Require the Dirigo Health Agency to develop a method for including a health savings account option as part of DirigoChoice and to report its recommendation for such inclusion to the Joint Standing Committee on Insurance and Financial Services;

2. Require the Governor's Office of Health Policy and Finance to develop options for financing the cost of conforming state tax law to federal tax law regarding health savings accounts and to report its recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Insurance and Financial Services;

3. Require the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Insurance to develop a method for insurance carriers to report new business, categorized by insurance status. The report would include categories for insured, underinsured and uninsured people. The bureau would report its recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Insurance and Financial Services;

4. Expand the membership of the Advisory Council on Health Systems Development to include a practicing nurse, a small business and a large business that purchases employee health coverage; and

5. Clarify that the Dirigo Health Agency is authorized to make and administer grants.