Bill > SB0164

This bill authorizes the state to apply for a waiver from federal Medicaid rules to create a two-year pilot program offering health care access to adults who don't qualify for the traditional state Medicaid program, known as the "adult expansion population." The waiver, which requires negotiation between the Department of Health and the governor, must include conditions such as notifying enrollees that it's a pilot program, and it will automatically end after two years, triggering a legislative review of participant employment status, enrollment categories (like employer-sponsored plans or premium assistance), and the annual cost per enrollee. The bill also mandates legislative approval if the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) alters the waiver's conditions and stipulates that the Medicaid waiver will be immediately repealed if federal funding participation drops below a certain level. Additionally, the bill appropriates funds for fiscal years 2016 and 2017 to cover the pilot program's costs, including anticipated increases in enrollment and potential "crowd-out" effects where individuals might switch from employer-sponsored plans to the Medicaid program.