HB2199: Health Insurance Reform Commission; review of essential health benefits benchmark plan.

Legislative Summary

Health Insurance Reform Commission; review of essential health benefits plan. Requires that the Health Insurance Reform Commission review the essential health benefits benchmark plan and establish a process for such review. The bill requires the Commission, in coordination with the Bureau of Insurance, to conduct a review of the essential health benefits benchmark plan in 2025 and every five years thereafter. The bill requires during such review (i) the Bureau to convene a stakeholder work group to make recommendations to the Commission, (ii) the Bureau to estimate the effects of certain referred legislation on the costs of health coverage in the Commonwealth, (iii) the Commission to determine if any changes are to be made to the benchmark plan and to identify such changes, (iv) the Bureau to conduct an actuarial analysis of any changes identified by the Commission, and (v) the Commission to determine which changes will be recommended and to make a recommendation to the General Assembly in the form of a bill that directs the Bureau to select a new benchmark plan that includes any such changes at the next regular session of the General Assembly. The bill (a) requires public hearings to be held throughout the process, (b) establishes a timeline for each step of the process, and (c) requires the Bureau to maintain a website to convey relevant information regarding the process to the public. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Health Insurance Reform Commission.