Brief ⁽¹⁾

SB 29, as amended, concerns HealthWave, the Kansas health insurance program for children. The bill deletes the existing 60-day waiting period for those children who were covered by a private insurance plan during the six months prior to applying for coverage under HealthWave.

The Committee amendment changes the effective date of the bill to publication in the Kansas Register.

Background

SB 29 was requested by the Governor whose representatives explained that the six-month provision was included in the original law in order to address the federal government's concern that persons would drop private insurance coverage in order to obtain insurance through the federal children's health insurance program. Now, the federal government has determined that there is little evidence of substituting insurance coverages and will allow the elimination of the six-month waiting period. Approximately 35 children each month are denied coverage under HealthWave because of the six-month waiting period.

The bill is supported by the Insurance Commissioner, the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, the Kansas/ Western Missouri Chapter of the March of Dimes, and the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities.

The fiscal note prepared by the Division of the Budget indicates that passage of the bill will cost a total of $229,174, including $83,768 from the State General Fund. The fiscal effect of the bill is included in The FY 2002 Governor's Budget Report.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext.cgi