SB918: Bill Text

LRB-5717/1

SWB/TJD/MIM:cdc

2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

2021 Senate BILL 918

February 1, 2022 - Introduced by Senators Erpenbach, Agard, Bewley, Carpenter, Larson, Roys and Smith, cosponsored by Representatives Vining, Spreitzer, Riemer, Andraca, Baldeh, Billings, Brostoff, Cabrera, Conley, Considine, Doyle, Drake, Emerson, Goyke, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hintz, Hong, Ohnstad, S. Rodriguez, Shankland, Shelton, Snodgrass, Stubbs, Subeck and Vruwink. Referred to Committee on Health.

SB918,1,10 An Act to repeal 49.45 (2p) and 49.45 (23); to amend 20.435 (4) (jw), 49.45 (23b) (title), 49.45 (23b) (b), 49.45 (23b) (c), 49.45 (23b) (e), 49.471 (4) (a) 4. b., 49.686 (3) (d), 103.025 (title), 103.10 (1) (c), 103.10 (2) (c), 103.10 (5) (a), 103.10 (8), 103.10 (9) (a) and (b), 103.10 (9) (c) 4., 103.10 (9) (d) and 103.10 (12) (d); and to create 16.34, 20.435 (4) (bu), 20.505 (1) (ft), 49.471 (1) (cr), 49.471 (4) (a) 8., 49.471 (4g), 49.681, 103.025 (1) (bm), 103.025 (3), 103.10 (1) (dm), 103.10 (4m), 609.887 and 632.895 (14f) of the statutes; relating to: hazard pay, paid medical leave, and health coverage for frontline health care workers, eligibility expansion under the Medical Assistance program, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Generally, this bill provides certain benefits for certain health care workers, including hazard pay, paid medical leave, state-funded testing and treatment for those uninsured, and insurance coverage for testing and treatment. The bill also accepts the Medicaid expansion.

Employment

The bill requires employers to provide hazard pay to certain health care workers during a public health emergency. The bill also requires employers to provide at least 15 days of paid medical leave for certain health care workers who contract a communicable disease. Under the bill, an employer may request a reimbursement from the Department of Administration for the paid medical leave and hazard pay.

State coverage for treatment of uninsured health care workers and insurance coverage for health care workers

The bill requires the Department of Health Services to provide state payment for the testing and treatment for health care workers who have been diagnosed with or are under investigation of having COVID-19 or any other communicable disease. State coverage is available only if the individual has no other form of coverage or funding for treatment available from insurance, a health care coverage program, or under any grant, contract, or other contractual arrangement.

The bill requires every health insurance policy and every self-insured governmental health plan that generally covers testing for and treatment of infectious disease to provide coverage of testing for and treatment of COVID-19 or any other communicable disease for a frontline health care worker who has been diagnosed with or is under investigation of having COVID-19 or any other communicable disease without imposing any copayment or coinsurance. A health insurance policy is referred to in the bill as a disability insurance policy. For purposes of required insurance coverage and for the state coverage for uninsured health care workers, the treatment that must be covered is any treatment that is medically necessary and reasonably related to COVID-19 or any other communicable disease or complications from COVID-19 or other communicable disease.

Medicaid expansion

This bill accepts the Medicaid expansion by changing the family income eligibility level to up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line for parents and caretaker relatives under BadgerCare Plus and for childless adults currently covered under BadgerCare Plus Core and who are incorporated into BadgerCare Plus in this bill. BadgerCare Plus and BadgerCare Plus Core are programs under the state's Medical Assistance program, which provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act allows a state to receive an enhanced federal medical assistance percentage payment for providing benefits to certain individuals through a state's Medical Assistance program. The bill requires DHS to comply with all federal requirements and to request any amendment to the state Medical Assistance plan, waiver of Medicaid law, or other federal approval necessary to qualify for the highest available enhanced federal medical assistance percentage for childless adults under the BadgerCare Plus program. DHS must ensure that any increased funding resulting from the bill is used to improve access to and affordability of health care and to support health care quality for Wisconsin residents.

Under current law, certain parents and caretaker relatives with incomes of not more than 100 percent of the federal poverty line, before a 5 percent income disregard is applied, are eligible for BadgerCare Plus benefits. Under current law, childless adults who 1) are under age 65; 2) have family incomes that do not exceed 100 percent of the federal poverty line, before a 5 percent income disregard is applied; and 3) are not otherwise eligible for Medical Assistance, including BadgerCare Plus, are eligible for benefits under BadgerCare Plus Core. The bill eliminates the childless adults demonstration project known as BadgerCare Plus Core.

This proposal may contain a health insurance mandate requiring a social and financial impact report under s. 601.423, stats.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB918,1 Section 1 . 16.34 of the statutes is created to read:

SB918,3,5 16.34 Hazard pay during a public health emergency; paid medical leave for frontline health care workers. (1) Definition. In this section, “frontline health care worker” means an individual who is any of the following, who is not exempt under 29 USC 213, and whose annual pay does not exceed $99,999:

SB918,3,7 (a) A provider of direct care to patients in a hospital, nursing home, or residence or for an ambulance service provider, as defined in s. 256.01 (3).

SB918,3,9 (b) An employee who works in a patient care area of a facility that provides direct patient care.

SB918,3,11 (c) An individual who handles patient specimens within this state within the scope of the individual's employment.

SB918,3,13 (d) An employee who works in an area where patient specimens are handled at a facility that handles patient specimens within this state.

SB918,4,2 (2) Hazard pay grant program for work during a public health emergency. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (ft), the department shall award grants to employers for the payment of hazard pay to frontline health care workers who work during a public health emergency declared by the governor under s. 323.10 or the secretary of health services under s. 252.02, as set forth in s. 103.025 (3).

SB918,4,8 (b) The department shall establish and administer a program to subsidize, as provided in s. 103.025 (3), the hazard pay costs for frontline health care workers. The department shall require, at a minimum, that the employer provide a sworn affidavit of compliance, and payroll records if requested by the department. The governor or his or her designee within the department may determine the period of applicability of this subsection.

SB918,4,12 (3) Paid medical leave grant program for frontline health care workers. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (ft), the department shall award grants to employers for the provision of paid medical leave to frontline health care workers who contract a communicable disease, as set forth in s. 103.10 (4m).

SB918,4,18 (b) The department shall establish and administer a program to subsidize, as provided in s. 103.10 (4m), the paid medical leave costs for frontline health care workers. The department shall require, at a minimum, that the employer provide a sworn affidavit of compliance, and payroll records if requested by the department. The governor or his or her designee within the department may determine the period of applicability of this subsection.

SB918,4,22 (4) Coverage of COVID-19 for health care workers. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (ft), the department shall award grants to insurers for the provision of health insurance coverage to frontline health care workers as set forth in s. 632.895 (14f).

SB918,5,2 (b) The department shall establish and administer a program to subsidize, as provided in s. 632.895 (14f), the costs of providing coverage for frontline health care workers at no additional cost to the covered individuals. The governor or his or her designee within the department may determine the period of applicability of this subsection.

SB918,2 Section 2 . 20.435 (4) (bu) of the statutes is created to read:

SB918,5,11 20.435 (4) (bu) COVID-19 and other communicable disease aids for frontline health care workers. A sum sufficient not to exceed, in fiscal year 2021-22, the difference between $170,000,000 and the amount after payments have been made under s. 16.34, for testing and treatment of frontline health care workers under s. 49.681 and not to exceed, in fiscal year 2022-23 and each fiscal year thereafter, the difference between $300,000,000 and the amount after payments have been made under s. 16.34, for testing and treatment of frontline health care workers under s. 49.681.

SB918,3 Section 3 . 20.435 (4) (jw) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB918,5,20 20.435 (4) (jw) BadgerCare Plus and hospital assessment. All moneys received from payment of enrollment fees under the program under s. 49.45 (23), all moneys transferred under s. 50.38 (9), all moneys transferred from the appropriation account under par. (jz), and 10 percent of all moneys received from penalty assessments under s. 49.471 (9) (c), for administration of the program under s. 49.45 (23), to provide a portion of the state share of administrative costs for the BadgerCare Plus Medical Assistance program under s. 49.471, and for administration of the hospital assessment under s. 50.38.

SB918,4 Section 4 . 20.505 (1) (ft) of the statutes is created to read:

SB918,5,25 20.505 (1) (ft) Health care coverage and employee benefits relating to COVID-19 and other communicable diseases. A sum sufficient not to exceed $170,000,000 in fiscal year 2021-22 and not to exceed $300,000,000 in each fiscal year thereafter for payments under s. 16.34 (2), (3), and (4).

SB918,5 Section 5. 49.45 (2p) of the statutes is repealed.

SB918,6 Section 6 . 49.45 (23) of the statutes is repealed.

SB918,7 Section 7 . 49.45 (23b) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB918,6,5 49.45 (23b) (title) Childless adults demonstration project reform waiver implementation required.

SB918,8 Section 8 . 49.45 (23b) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB918,6,10 49.45 (23b) (b) Beginning as soon as practicable after October 31, 2018, and ending no sooner than December 31, 2023, the department shall do all of the following with regard to the childless adults demonstration project under sub. (23) s. 49.471 (4) (a) 8.:

SB918,6,16 1. Require in each month persons, except exempt individuals, who are eligible to receive Medical Assistance under sub. (23) s. 49.471 (4) (a) 8. and who are at least 19 years of age but have not attained the age of 50 to participate in, document, and report 80 hours per calendar month of community engagement activities. The department, after finding good cause, may grant a temporary exemption from the requirement under this subdivision upon request of a Medical Assistance recipient.

SB918,6,19 2. Require persons with incomes of at least 50 percent of the poverty line to pay premiums in accordance with par. (c) as a condition of eligibility for Medical Assistance under sub. (23) s. 49.471 (4) (a) 8.

SB918,6,21 3. Require as a condition of eligibility for Medical Assistance under sub. (23) s. 49.471 (4) (a) 8. completion of a health risk assessment.

SB918,6,24 4. Charge recipients of Medical Assistance under sub. (23) s. 49.471 (4) (a) 8. an $8 copayment for nonemergency use of the emergency department in accordance with 42 USC 1396o-1 (e) (1) and 42 CFR 447.54.

SB918,7,5 5. Disenroll from Medical Assistance under sub. (23) s. 49.471 (4) (a) 8. for 6 months any individual who does not pay a required premium under subd. 2. and any individual who is required under subd. 1. to participate in a community engagement activity but who does not participate for 48 aggregate months in the community engagement activity.