Bill > H91

This bill establishes an "access to healthcare task force" comprised of eight members, including the Secretary of Health and Human Services (who will chair it), commissioners from various state departments like Children and Families (DCF), Transitional Assistance, Housing and Community Development, and Early Education and Care, the Medical Director of the Office of Medicaid, and co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, to review and report on the barriers to healthcare access for youth who are aging out of or have aged out of the care of the Department of Children and Families. The task force is mandated to assess the number of eligible youth under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a federal law aimed at increasing health insurance coverage), examine outreach strategies including the potential for a shared database and automatic enrollment before youth leave state care, and investigate methods used in other states to ensure seamless enrollment, with the ultimate goal of creating a plan for universal enrollment for this population and submitting annual reports with recommendations to the legislature.