COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH

OVERSIGHT DIVISION



FISCAL NOTE



L.R. No.: 2702-02

Bill No.: SCS for SB 906

Subject: Insurance - Medical

Type: Original

Date: March 16, 2004




FISCAL SUMMARY



ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUND
FUND AFFECTED FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
General Revenue Unknown to (Unknown) Unknown to (Unknown) Unknown to (Unknown)
Total Estimated

Net Effect on

General Revenue

Fund

Unknown to (Unknown) Unknown to (Unknown) Unknown to (Unknown)



ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON STATE FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
Insurance Dedicated $8,000 $0 $0
County Foreign Insurance* $0 $0 $0
Total Estimated

Net Effect on All

State Funds

$8,000 $0 $0

* Decrease in unknown revenues is offset by an unknown decrease in transfers to school districts and net to $0.



Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses.

This fiscal note contains 6 pages.





ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
Total Estimated

Net Effect on All

Federal Funds

$0 $0 $0



ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
Local Government (Unknown) (Unknown) (Unknown)




FISCAL ANALYSIS



ASSUMPTION



Officials from the Office of Administration - Division of Budget and Planning, Department of Revenue and Missouri Department of Conservation assume the proposal will have no fiscal impact on their organizations.



Officials from the Department of Public Safety - Missouri State Highway Patrol defer to the Missouri Department of Transportation for response regarding the fiscal impact of the proposal on their organization.



Officials from the Missouri Department of Transportation state the Highway and Patrol Medical Plan is not a health carrier as defined in Section 376.1350. Since this proposal does not require health carriers to offer such health benefit plans, the Medical Plan is not required by Section 104.801 to follow this legislation. Finally, the Medical Plan already offers a health benefit plan which contains deductibles, etc. As a result, the proposal will have no fiscal impact on the Highway and Patrol Medical Plan.



Officials from the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan (HCP) state the HCP currently offers health benefit plans which contain deductibles, coinsurance and variable copayments. HCP offers HMO plans with two different plan designs. The premium option has lower copayments with a higher monthly rate; the Standard Option has higher copayments with a lower



ASSUMPTION (continued)



monthly rate. HCP also offers the Copay Plan through First Health which has non-network benefits subject to deductibles and coinsurance amounts.



Therefore, this proposal does not fiscally impact the HCP.



Officials from the Department of Insurance (INS) state HMOs currently pay corporate income tax rather than premium tax. Premium tax is split 50/50 between General Revenue (GR) and County Foreign Insurance Fund. The INS assumes that companies with both HMO and insurance company affiliates may move business from PPO contracts where premium taxes are paid to HMO contracts where corporate tax is paid. This would result in an unknown decrease in what is deposited in the County Foreign Insurance Fund. The County Foreign Insurance Fund is yearly distributed to all school districts in the state. The shift from premium tax to corporate tax would also result in a difference in tax amounts collected. Currently the premium tax rate is 2% of the premium written. How corporate tax is calculated and the impact this shift would have on GR is unknown.



The INS estimates that many of the 160 insurers and HMOs would develop and file new products which are required to be submitted to INS for review and approval. Policies and HMO contracts must be submitted to the INS for review along with a $50 filing fee. One-time additional revenues to the Insurance Dedicated Fund are estimated to be $8,000.



Additional staff and expenses are not being requested with this single proposal, but if multiple proposals pass during the legislative session which require policy form reviews, the INS will need to request additional staff to handle the increase in workload.



This proposal will increase Total State Revenue.























FISCAL IMPACT - State Government FY 2005

(10 Mo.)

FY 2006 FY 2007
GENERAL REVENUE
Income - Department of Insurance
Shift from premium tax to corporate tax Unknown to (Unknown) Unknown to (Unknown) Unknown to (Unknown)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUND Unknown to (Unknown) Unknown to (Unknown) Unknown to (Unknown)
INSURANCE DEDICATED FUND
Income - Department of Insurance
Form Filing Fees $8,000 $0 $0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON INSURANCE DEDICATED FUND



$8,000


$0


$0
COUNTY FOREIGN INSURANCE FUND
Savings - Department of Insurance
Reduction in transfer-out to school districts

Unknown


Unknown


Unknown
Loss - Department of Insurance
Reduction in premium taxes collected (Unknown) (Unknown) (Unknown)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON COUNTY FOREIGN INSURANCE FUND*



$0




$0




$0

* Decrease in unknown revenues is offset by an unknown decrease in transfers to school districts and net to $0.











FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government FY 2005

(10 Mo.)

FY 2006 FY 2007
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Loss - School Districts
Reduction in premium taxes transferred- in from the County Foreign Insurance Fund





(Unknown)




(Unknown)




(Unknown)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS

(Unknown)


(Unknown)


(Unknown


FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business



No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.



DESCRIPTION



Under this proposal, health carriers may offer as an option, one or more health benefit plans which contain deductibles, coinsurance, coinsurance differentials, or variable copayments. Nothing in this proposal, however, shall relieve or be construed as exempting a health carrier from providing or covering any mandated health insurance benefit required by Chapter 376, RSMo. The optional health benefit plans offered by this proposal shall not contain a deductible for any mandated health insurance benefit required by Chapter 376, RSMo. Coverage and benefits provided by such policies for mandated health insurance benefits shall be at least as favorable and subject to the same dollar limits and copayments as other covered benefits or services.



This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not require additional capital improvements or rental space.





















SOURCES OF INFORMATION



Office of Administration -

Division of Budget and Planning

Department of Revenue

Missouri Department of Transportation

Department of Public Safety -

Missouri State Highway Patrol

Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan

Department of Insurance

Missouri Department of Conservation





















Mickey Wilson, CPA

Director

March 16, 2004