Sec. 19a-7e. Health care for uninsured pregnant women demonstration project.
Sec. 19a-7e. Health care for uninsured pregnant women demonstration project. The Department of Public Health and the Office of Health Care Access, in consultation with the Department of Social Services, shall establish a three-year demonstration
program to improve access to health care for uninsured pregnant women under two
hundred fifty per cent of the poverty level. Services to be covered by the program shall
include, but not be limited to, the professional services of obstetricians, dental care
providers, physician assistants or midwives on the staff of the sponsoring hospital and
community-based providers; services of pediatricians for purposes of assistance in delivery and postnatal care; dietary counseling; dental care; substance abuse counseling,
and other ancillary services which may include substance abuse treatment and mental
health services, as required by the patient's condition, history or circumstances; necessary pharmaceutical and other durable medical equipment during the prenatal period;
and postnatal care, as well as preventative and primary care for children up to age six
in families in the eligible income level. The program shall encourage the acquisition,
sponsorship and extension of existing outreach activities and the activities of mobile,
satellite and other outreach units. The Commissioner of Public Health, in consultation
with the Commissioner of Health Care Access or his designee, shall issue a request
for proposals to Connecticut hospitals. Such request shall require: (1) An interactive
relationship between the hospital, community health centers, community-based providers and the healthy start program; (2) provisions for case management; (3) provisions
for financial eligibility screening, referrals and enrollment assistance where appropriate
to the medical assistance program, the healthy start program or private insurance; and
(4) provisions for a formal liaison function between hospitals, community health centers
and other health care providers. The Office of Health Care Access is authorized, through
the hospital rate setting process, to fund specific additions to fiscal years 1992 to 1994,
inclusive, budgets for hospitals chosen for participation in the program. In requesting
additions to their budgets, each hospital shall address specific program elements including adjustments to the hospital's expense base, as well as adjustments to its revenues,
in a manner which will produce income sufficient to offset the adjustment in expenses.
The office shall insure that the network of hospital providers will serve the greatest
number of people, while not exceeding a state-wide cost increase of three million dollars
per year. Hospitals participating in the program shall report monthly to the Departments
of Public Health and Social Services or their designees and annually to the joint standing
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public
health and human services such information as the departments and the committees
deem necessary.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-11, S. 18, 25; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 39, 58; P.A. 03-278, S. 71.)
History: P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and
department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced department and commissioner of health
services with department and commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257
replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of
Public Health and replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July
1, 1995; P.A. 03-278 made technical changes, effective July 9, 2003.
See Sec. 19a-490a for definition of "community health center".