Health Insurance

HB 7007 – University Employees Health Insurance – Filed by Health and Human Services Committee. Passed all committees, ready for floor vote.

Provides for a tiered system of benefits

HB 7007 is on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives tomorrow afternoon, March 22nd, for consideration. The normal process is adding amendments, if any, on second reading and final vote on the next day of session. In this case, that would probably be on Thursday, March 23rd. The bill authorizes the state group insurance program to include additional benefits and to establish the implementation of benefit levels as described below:

“Beginning in the 2020 plan year, the bill provides that state employees will have health plan choices at four different benefit levels. These levels are:

• Platinum Level (at least 90% AV)
• Gold Level (at least 80% AV)
• Silver Level (at least 70% AV)
• Bronze Level (at least 60% AV)

    Note: AV is the “actuarial value”.

If the state’s contribution towards the premium is more than the cost of the plan selected by the employee, then the employee may use the remainder to

• Fund a flexible spending arrangement or a health savings account.
• Purchase additional benefits offered through the state group insurance program.
• Increase the employee’s salary.

The bill does not establish any premiums but directs DMS to recommend employee contribution rates for standard plans and high deductible health plans for the 2018 plan year reflecting the actual benefit difference between the HMO and the PPO plans for both self-insured and fully insured products. There is no analysis of the fiscal impact of this bill on employees in 2020.

SB 900 – companion to HB 7007, filed by Tom Lee (Pascoe, Hillsborough) – referred to Government Oversight & Accountability, Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, Appropriations, Rules.