2001 Senate Bill 748 ↩

House Roll Call 664: Passed

To provide for the sale of high deductible Medicare supplement plans; regulate Medicare+Choice plans now allowed under federal regulations; allow a policyholder to suspend a Medicare supplement policy, and have the policy reinstated, under certain circumstances; specify conditions under which an applicant for a Medicare supplement policy would not be excluded from coverage because of a preexisting condition; specify individuals who would be eligible for coverage, and prescribe conditions under which people could not be denied coverage; establish time periods during which eligible individuals would have to be allowed to enroll; and require notification when a plan was terminated. The bill would also establish the “Michigan Medicaid Quality Assurance Assessment” (MMQAA) program announced by Gov. Engler on April 9, 2002. The program would impose a fee on HMOs of 1.87 percent on non-Medicare premiums. This would generate $54.6 million annually, which would enable the state to collect $67.8 million in new federal revenue. The entire amount of $122.4 million would then be returned to HMOs in the form of a five-percent increase in Medicaid reimbursements. The substitute also authorizes consumer "deductibles" or co-payments for health services provided by an HMO.