The bill under consideration, identified as Substitute House Bill No. 6709 with File No. 360, pertains to the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange, also known as Access Health CT. The bill proposes to repeal the existing Section 38a-1085 of the general statutes and substitute it with new provisions. The key changes include the requirement for the exchange to make qualified health plans available to individuals and employers, with coverage beginning on or before January 1, 2014. The exchange is prohibited from offering any health benefit plan that is not a qualified health plan. Additionally, the bill allows for the offering of limited scope dental benefits through the exchange, provided they meet certain requirements of the Internal Revenue Code and the Affordable Care Act.

Significant insertions in the bill include the implementation of an enhanced direct enrollment process for the open enrollment periods beginning on November 1, 2023, and November 1, 2024. This process, to be developed in consultation with the Department of Social Services and in accordance with federal rules, will enable qualified health plan issuers or web brokers licensed in Connecticut to directly enroll individuals in qualified health benefit plans through the exchange. The bill also specifies that neither the exchange nor health carriers can charge a fee or penalty for coverage termination if an individual enrolls in another type of minimum essential coverage due to new eligibility or affordability under employer-sponsored coverage. The bill is effective upon passage and amends Section 38a-1085. The fiscal impact statement indicates significant IT development costs for the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange, estimated at $3.3 million for the first carrier, with additional costs for each subsequent entity.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
INS Joint Favorable Substitute:
File No. 360: