HCS HB 1868 -- HEALTH CARE RESPONSIBILITY ACT

SPONSOR:  Hunter (Faith)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Workforce
Development and Workplace Safety by a vote of 8 to 5.

This substitute establishes the Health Care Responsibility Act
which requires applicants for Missouri Medicaid Program benefits
to identify their employers.  If an applicant is not employed,
the individual must identify the employer of any adult who is
responsible for providing his or her support whether the
beneficiary receiving medical assistance under the federal Social
Security Act and whether the beneficiary is a full-time,
part-time, or seasonal employee.

The Department of Social Services must submit an annual report to
the Governor and General Assembly within 30 days of the end of
each calendar year, beginning with 2007.  The report must provide
information on each employer including private employers, the
State of Missouri, and any political subdivision of the state
that have more than 50 employees with at least 25 of them
receiving Medicaid assistance.  For each employer, the report
must identify the employer's name and address; number of program
beneficiaries; number of beneficiaries who are spouses or
dependents of employees; whether the employer offers health
insurance benefits and, if offered, the level of premium
subsidies; whether the employer receives health insurance
benefits through the company; and the state's cost of providing
Medicaid benefits for the employer's employees and enrolled
dependents.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Cost on General Revenue Fund of Greater
than $169,500 in FY 2007, $0 in FY 2008, and $0 in FY 2009.  No
impact on Other State Funds in FY 2007, FY 2008, and FY 2009.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill provides a tracking
mechanism to facilitate statistical analysis of Missouri
employees' health care and participation in Medicaid.  Thirteen
other states with similar tracking mechanisms statistical
analysis indicate that an increasing number of Medicaid
recipients are employed by large companies.

Testifying for the bill were Representatives Faith and Zweifel;
Robert Kelley, Mid-America Joint Retail Labor Management
Committee; Missouri Hospital Association; and Missouri AFL-CIO.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that the reporting
provisions of the bill are onerous and that the bill is the first
step in the state requiring employer-provided employee health
insurance.

Testifying against the bill were Missouri Restaurant Association;
National Federation of Independent Business; St. Louis Area
Business Health Coalition; and Associated Industries of Missouri.

Roland Tackett, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated November 29, 2006 at 9:44 am