Assembly Bill 878

A grant for providing assistance to individuals to obtain and maintain health care benefits and making an appropriation

Topics: Health Services, Department of: Health, Insurance: Health, Organization, Miscellaneous, Poor, Public assistance

Passed the Assembly, then stopped

The Assembly passed it on Apr 20, 2010, but the Senate never voted on it. A bill has to ⁠. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

Introduced, passed

Mar 19, 2010
Committee, passed

Approved
Assembly vote, passed

Passed Apr 20, 2010
Senate vote, stopped here

Stopped here. The Senate never voted on it.
Governor, not reached
Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to concur in pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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Terms on this page

Second chamber's vote

A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.

Official term: Concurrence. More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to award funding to an organization to oversee a program to assist people in obtaining and maintaining health care services and coverage of health care expenses (health care benefits). The organization in turn must allocate funding to other entities to directly provide people assistance in obtaining and maintaining health care benefits. In addition, the oversight organization must provide training and technical assistance to the entities and provide legal services to aid low-income people in obtaining and maintaining health care benefits.

The services for which funding is authorized under the bill include assisting people in applying for health insurance or government health care programs;

Read the full summary

appealing denials of eligibility or denials of coverage for health care services;

coordinating health care benefits for people who have more than one source of health care coverage; referring people to information and programs regarding preventive health care, chronic disease management, responsible utilization of health care services, and healthy lifestyle; coordinating efforts of community members who are involved in assisting people in obtaining and maintaining health care benefits; and educating people about the services provided under the grant program. The bill provides that the oversight organization may award funding for these services to nonprofit entities, governmental units, or institutions of higher education. The bill establishes minimum knowledge requirements for people employed by the entities to provide the services. The bill also prohibits an entity that receives funding, or its employees, from having a financial interest in a health insurance company or health insurance plan or from being directly involved in accrediting a hospital or nursing home.

The bill requires the oversight organization to provide matching funds for the grant in the first year that DHS awards the grant and requires each entity that receives funding from the oversight organization to provide matching funds on an ongoing basis. Finally, the bill requires DHS to apply for any federal funds available for assisting people in obtaining and maintaining health care benefits.

Who's behind it

6 representatives are its ⁠. All 6 are Democrats.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 11 names

Authors (6)

Kristen Dexter · Democrat, Assembly
Ann Hraychuck · Democrat, Assembly
Sandy Pasch · Democrat, Assembly
Donna Seidel · Democrat, Assembly
Robert Turner · Democrat, Assembly
Amy Sue Vruwink · Democrat, Assembly

Signed on in support (5)

Spencer Coggs · Democrat, Senate
Jon Erpenbach · Democrat, Senate
Mark Miller · Democrat, Senate
Fred A. Risser · Democrat, Senate
Kathleen Vinehout · Democrat, Senate

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 8 votes on this bill. Taking a bill up right away needs two-thirds of the members, a higher bar than passing it, so that vote can draw more yeses than the final one.