SB 5722 - DIGEST

(SEE ALSO PROPOSED 2ND SUB)

Provides that the administrator shall accept applications for group coverage from small employers who meet the requirements of this act on behalf of themselves and their employees, spouses, and dependent children who reside in an area served by the plan.

Declares that small employer group coverage through the basic health plan is not conditioned upon the small employer group enrollees meeting the eligibility requirements for subsidized enrollees provided in RCW 70.47.020(6). The administrator shall not require employers to report total household income of their employees as a condition of receiving group coverage through the basic health plan.

Authorizes the administrator to require all or a substantial majority of employees of small employers to enroll in the plan and establish those procedures necessary to facilitate the orderly enrollment of groups in the plan. The administrator may also devise policies and procedures to assist small employer group enrollees who meet the eligibility requirements for subsidized enrollees provided in RCW 70.47.020(6) to seek enrollment as a subsidized enrollee.

Provides that small employer group enrollees are eligible for coverage through the basic health plan subsidized enrollee pool, even though employees in the group may not be subsidized enrollees as defined in RCW 70.47.020(6).

Provides that premiums due from small employers participating in the plan under the terms of this act shall be in an amount equal to the cost charged by the managed health care system to the state for the plan plus the administrative cost of providing the plan to the small employer less the amount of subsidy paid by the plan for employees enrolled as subsidized enrollees.