AB 845, as introduced, Cooley. Health care coverage: vision care.
Existing law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), requires each state to establish an American Health Benefits Exchange to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans by qualified individuals and small employers. PPACA prohibits an Exchange from making available any health plan other than a qualified health plan, except for certain stand-alone dental plans. Existing state law establishes the California Health Benefit Exchange within state government, specifies the powers and duties of the board governing the Exchange, and requires the board to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans through the Exchange by qualified individuals and small employers by January 1, 2014.
This bill would authorize the executive board that governs the California Health Benefit Exchange to construct, manage, and maintain an Internet Web site that is separate and clearly distinct from the Exchange’s Internet Web site, to inform consumers about participating individual and employer-based vision plans that are available to qualified individuals and qualified employers. The bill would authorize the board to receive funds from providers of ancillary vision care products and any other nongovernmental source for this purpose. The bill would prohibit federal funds and user fees and other assessments imposed for purposes of the Exchange from being used for this purpose. The bill would require the Internet Web site to provide certain information, including the fact that enrollment in a vision plan does not constitute enrollment in a qualified health plan or enrollment through the Exchange.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 100522 is added to the Government Code,
2to read:
(a) The board may construct, manage, and maintain
4an Internet Web site that is separate and clearly distinct from the
5Internet Web site established by the Exchange, to inform consumers
6about participating individual and employer-based vision plans
7that are available to qualified individuals and qualified employers.
8The board may receive funds from providers of ancillary vision
9care products and any other nongovernmental source for this
10purpose. Federal funds, user fees, and other assessments imposed
11for purposes of the Exchange shall not be used for this purpose,
12and other federal and state funds shall not be commingled with
13funds that are made available for this purpose.
14(b) The Internet Web site constructed pursuant to subdivision
15(a) shall
offer full and complete carrier information to consumers
16and shall allow enrollees and prospective enrollees to obtain
17standardized comparative information on the participating vision
18plans. If a telephone number is provided to provide additional
19information regarding a vision plan, that telephone number shall
20be a different telephone number than the telephone number
21provided to receive information regarding products offered through
22the Exchange.
23(c) The Internet Web site constructed pursuant to subdivision
24(a) shall provide, at a minimum, the following information to
25visitors to the Internet Web site:
26(1) An explanation of the types of coverage offered.
27(2) The fact that the vision plan is a separate, legally distinct
28entity from the Exchange.
P3 1(3) The
fact that enrollment in a vision plan does not constitute
2enrollment in a qualified health plan or enrollment through the
3Exchange.
4(4) The fact that advance payment of premium tax credit and
5cost-sharing reductions are not available for a vision plan.
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