BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 83| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD READING Bill No: AB 83 Author: Assembly Budget Committee Amended: 6/13/13 in Senate Vote: 27 - Urgency ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Not relevant SUBJECT : Budget Trailer Bill: Health and Human Services SOURCE : Author DIGEST : This bill reauthorizes a Medi-Cal managed care organization gross premium tax on health plans from July 1, 2012 through July 1, 2013 and establishes a sales tax on Medi-Cal managed care plans beginning July 1, 2013 through July 1, 2016. ANALYSIS : Existing law: 1.Establishes, under federal law, the Medicaid Program (Medi-Cal in California), administered by the Department of Health Care Services, to provide comprehensive health care services and long-term care to low income populations such as pregnant women, children, and seniors, and people with disabilities. 2.Approximately five million Medi-Cal beneficiaries receive health care services by enrolling in Medi-Cal managed care plans. CONTINUED AB 83 Page 2 3.The gross premium tax (GPT) was authorized by AB 1422 (Bass, Chapter 157, Statutes of 2009) for the period of January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010 and extended through July 1, 2011 by SB 853 (Budget & Fiscal Review Committee, Chapter 717, Statutes of 2010). Subsequently, ABX1 21 (Blumenfield, Chapter 11, Statutes of 2011) extended the sunset date to July 1, 2012. The Medi-Cal managed care GPT expired July 1, 2012. This bill: 1.Reauthorizes a gross premium tax on Medi-Cal managed care plans from July 1, 2012 until July 1, 2013. Specifies that $125 million of the revenues from this tax be used to fund the Healthy Families Program and the remaining revenues be directed to the Department of Health Care Services for purposes of funding managed care rates for health care services for children, seniors, persons with disabilities, and dual eligibles in the Medi-Cal program. 2.Provides a $125 million General Fund loan to the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board to cover the costs of the Healthy Families Program. 3.Establishes a sales tax on Medi-Cal managed care plans beginning July 1, 2013 through July 1, 2016. Specifies that these funds be directed to the Department of Health Care Services for purposes of funding managed care rates for health care services for children, seniors, persons with disabilities, and dual eligibles in the Medi-Cal program that reflect the cost of services and acuity of the population served. 4.Requires the Department of Health Care Services to provide quarterly reconciliation of tax revenue utilization to Medi-Cal managed care plans. 5.Prohibits a county, city, or district from imposing a sales or use tax on the gross receipts of a Medi-Cal managed care plan. 6.Requires that the sales tax imposed by this bill shall only be assessed if the Department of Health Care Services fulfills its obligation to provide actuarially sound, monthly capitation payments to the Medi-Cal managed care plan. CONTINUED AB 83 Page 3 7.Provides that this tax can be repealed through judicial determination or final determination by the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 8.Appropriates $245 million federal funds to the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board for the purposes of funding the Healthy Families Program. 9.Contains an urgency clause and goes into effect immediately. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: Yes Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: Yes According to the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, in 2012-13, the tax rate would be equal to the gross premiums tax (2.35%) and is projected to generate $166.4 million in revenue. The $125 million of the current year revenues would be directed to the Healthy Families Program and the remaining would be directed to the Medi-Cal program for managed care rates for children, seniors and persons with disabilities, and dual eligibles that reflect the cost of services and acuity of the population served. In 2013-14 and beyond, the rate would be equal to the state sales and use tax rate (3.9375%) and would generate about $340 million in revenues. These funds would offset General Fund expenditures for Medi-Cal managed care rates for children, seniors and persons with disabilities, and dual eligibles. AB:nl 6/14/13 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED **** END **** CONTINUED