Substitute Senate Bill No. 228, Public Act No. 23-172, is a legislative act that repeals Section 38a-1084 of the general statutes and introduces new provisions for the administration of a health insurance exchange, effective October 1, 2023. The exchange is responsible for a range of activities including administering the exchange for individuals and employers, conducting surveys, certifying health plans, operating a hotline, maintaining a website with plan comparisons, publishing costs, and more. The exchange is also required to rate health plans, provide standardized presentation formats, inform about public programs, collaborate with the Department of Social Services, establish a cost calculator, set up a program for small employers, collect premiums, grant certifications for penalty exemptions, provide information to the Treasury, select Navigators, review premium growth, credit vouchers, consult stakeholders, and meet financial integrity requirements.

The bill includes a deletion of the conjunction "and" and inserts a new clause (27), which mandates the exchange to provide a special enrollment period for individuals who lose their health care coverage due to an employer's action in a labor dispute. This ensures that affected individuals can enroll in health coverage through the exchange outside of the normal enrollment periods. The bill also requires the exchange to avoid using funds for non-operational expenses, seek comprehensive health benefit plans, encourage carriers to offer tiered network plans, and report annually to the General Assembly on the impact of adverse selection, with legislative recommendations to address it. The bill was approved on June 28, 2023.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill:
LAB Joint Favorable:
File No. 463:
Public Act No. 23-172: