Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 319o - Department of Social Services
Section 17b-28. - Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight. Duties. Appointments. Standing subcommittee. Report.

(a) There is established a Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight which shall advise the Commissioner of Social Services on the planning and implementation of the health care delivery system for the HUSKY Health program. The council shall monitor planning and implementation of matters related to Medicaid care management initiatives including, but not limited to, (1) eligibility standards, (2) benefits, (3) access, (4) quality assurance, (5) outcome measures, and (6) the issuance of any request for proposal by the Department of Social Services for utilization of an administrative services organization in connection with such initiatives.

(b) On or before June 30, 2011, the council shall be composed of the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services, public health and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, or their designees; two members of the General Assembly, one to be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate and one to be appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; the director of the Commission on Aging, or a designee; the director of the Commission on Children, or a designee; a representative of each organization that has been selected by the state to provide managed care and a representative of a primary care case management provider, to be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; two representatives of the insurance industry, to be appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; two advocates for persons receiving Medicaid, one to be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate and one to be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; one advocate for persons with substance use disorders, to be appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives; one advocate for persons with psychiatric disabilities, to be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; two advocates for the Department of Children and Families foster families, one to be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate and one to be appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; two members of the public who are currently recipients of Medicaid, one to be appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives and one to be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; two representatives of the Department of Social Services, to be appointed by the Commissioner of Social Services; two representatives of the Department of Public Health, to be appointed by the Commissioner of Public Health; two representatives of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, to be appointed by the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services; two representatives of the Department of Children and Families, to be appointed by the Commissioner of Children and Families; two representatives of the Office of Policy and Management, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management; and one representative of the office of the State Comptroller, to be appointed by the State Comptroller.
(c) On and after October 31, 2017, the council shall be composed of the following members:
(1) The chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to aging, human services, public health and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, or their designees;
(2) Five appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be a member of the General Assembly, one of whom shall be a community provider of adult Medicaid health services, one of whom shall be a recipient of Medicaid benefits for the aged, blind and disabled or an advocate for such a recipient, one of whom shall be a representative of the state's federally qualified health clinics and one of whom shall be a member of the Connecticut Hospital Association;
(3) Five appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be a member of the General Assembly, one of whom shall be a representative of the home health care industry, one of whom shall be a primary care medical home provider, one of whom shall be an advocate for Department of Children and Families foster families and one of whom shall be a representative of the business community with experience in cost efficiency management;
(4) Three appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be an advocate for persons with substance abuse disabilities, one of whom shall be a Medicaid dental provider and one of whom shall be a representative of the for-profit nursing home industry;
(5) Three appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one of whom shall be a representative of school-based health centers, one of whom shall be a recipient of benefits under the HUSKY Health program and one of whom shall be a physician who serves Medicaid clients;
(6) Three appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be an advocate for persons with disabilities, one of whom shall be a dually eligible Medicaid-Medicare beneficiary or an advocate for such a beneficiary and one of whom shall be a representative of the not-for-profit nursing home industry;
(7) Three appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom shall be a low-income adult recipient of Medicaid benefits or an advocate for such a recipient, one of whom shall be a representative of hospitals and one of whom shall be a representative of the business community with experience in cost efficiency management;
(8) The executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the executive director's designee;
(9) A member of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, designated by the executive director;
(10) A representative of the Long-Term Care Advisory Council;
(11) The Commissioners of Social Services, Children and Families, Public Health, Developmental Services, Aging and Disability Services and Mental Health and Addiction Services, or their designees, who shall be ex-officio nonvoting members;
(12) The Comptroller, or the Comptroller's designee, who shall be an ex-officio nonvoting member;
(13) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee, who shall be an ex-officio nonvoting member; and
(14) One representative of an administrative services organization which contracts with the Department of Social Services in the administration of the Medicaid program, who shall be a nonvoting member.
(d) The council shall choose a chairperson from among its members. The Joint Committee on Legislative Management shall provide administrative support to such chairperson.
(e) The council shall monitor and make recommendations concerning: (1) An enrollment process that ensures access for the HUSKY Health program and effective outreach and client education for said program; (2) available services comparable to those already in the Medicaid state plan, including those guaranteed under the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Services Program under 42 USC 1396d; (3) the sufficiency of accessible adult and child primary care providers, specialty providers and hospitals in Medicaid provider networks; (4) the sufficiency of provider rates to maintain the Medicaid network of providers and service access; (5) funding and agency personnel resources to guarantee timely access to services and effective management of the Medicaid program; (6) participation in care management programs including, but not limited to, medical home and health home models by existing community Medicaid providers; (7) the linguistic and cultural competency of providers and other program facilitators and data on the provision of Medicaid linguistic translation services; (8) program quality, including outcome measures and continuous quality improvement initiatives that may include provider quality performance incentives and performance targets for administrative services organizations; (9) timely, accessible and effective client grievance procedures; (10) coordination of the Medicaid care management programs with state and federal health care reforms; (11) eligibility levels for inclusion in the programs; (12) enrollee cost-sharing provisions; (13) a benefit package for the HUSKY Health program; (14) coordination of coverage continuity among Medicaid programs and integration of care, including, but not limited to, behavioral health, dental and pharmacy care provided through programs administered by the Department of Social Services; and (15) the need for program quality studies within the areas identified in this section and the department's application for available grant funds for such studies. The chairperson of the council shall ensure that sufficient members of the council participate in the review of any contract entered into by the Department of Social Services and an administrative services organization.
(f) The Commissioner of Social Services may, in consultation with an educational institution, apply for any available funding, including federal funding, to support Medicaid care management programs.
(g) The Commissioner of Social Services shall provide monthly reports to the council on the matters described in subsection (e) of this section, including, but not limited to, policy changes and proposed regulations that affect Medicaid health services. The commissioner shall also provide the council with quarterly financial reports for each covered Medicaid population which reports shall include a breakdown of sums expended for each covered population.
(h) The council shall biannually report on its activities and progress to the General Assembly.
(i) There is established, within the Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight, a standing subcommittee to study and make recommendations to the council on children and adults who have complex health care needs. The subcommittee shall consist of council members appointed by the chairpersons of the council and other individuals who shall serve for terms prescribed by the cochairpersons to advise the council on specific needs of children and adults with complex health care needs. For the purposes of completing the reports required pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this subsection, such individuals shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) The Child Advocate, or the Child Advocate's designee; (2) a family or child advocate; (3) the executive director of the Council on Developmental Disabilities, or the executive director's designee; (4) the executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, or the executive director's designee; (5) an expert in the diagnosis, evaluation, education and treatment of children and young adults with developmental disabilities; and (6) the Healthcare Advocate, or the Healthcare Advocate's designee. The subcommittee shall submit the following reports, in accordance with section 11-4a to the council, the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, human services and public health regarding the efficacy of support systems for children and young adults, not older than twenty-one years of age, with developmental disabilities and with or without co-occurring mental health conditions:
(A) Not later than July 1, 2017, recommendations including, but not limited to: (i) Metrics for evaluating the quality of state-funded services to such children and young adults that can be utilized by state agencies that fund such services; (ii) statutory changes needed to promote effective service delivery for such children and young adults and their families; and (iii) any other changes needed to address gaps in services identified by the subcommittee or council with respect to such children, young adults and their families; and
(B) Not later than January 1, 2018, an assessment of: (i) Early intervention services available to such children and young adults in this state; (ii) the system of community-based services for such children and young adults; (iii) the treatment provided by congregate care settings that are operated privately or by the state and provide residential supports and services to such children and young adults and how the quality of care is measured; and (iv) how the state Department of Education, local boards of education, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Developmental Services and other appropriate agencies can work collaboratively to improve educational, developmental, medical and behavioral health outcomes for such children and young adults and reduce the number at risk of entering institutional care. As used in this subsection, “developmental disability” means a severe, chronic disability of an individual, as defined in 42 USC 15002, as amended from time to time.
(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-5, S. 26, 30; P.A. 95-257, S. 56, 58; Oct. 29 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-1, S. 18, 23; P.A. 99-167; 99-230, S. 5, 10; P.A. 06-188, S. 46; P.A. 07-148, S. 16; 07-217, S. 72; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5, S. 58; P.A. 10-179, S. 46; P.A. 11-44, S. 167; P.A. 13-125, S. 6; 13-234, S. 92; P.A. 14-206, S. 1; P.A. 15-69, S. 16; P.A. 16-142, S. 1; 16-193, S. 5; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 152; P.A. 17-33, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 317; P.A. 18-48, S. 3; 18-169, S. 40; P.A. 19-117, S. 123; 19-157, S. 58.)
History: May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-5 effective June 16, 1994; P.A. 95-257 amended Subsec. (a) by requiring the council to advise the Waiver Application Development Council on certain matters, increased membership by adding two members of the General Assembly, one advocate for persons with substance abuse disabilities and one for psychiatric disabilities, requiring the council to choose a chair and requiring the public health committee staff to provide administrative support, added Subsec. (b)(10) to (12) and replaced reference to Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Department of Public Health and reference to Department of Mental Health with Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, effective July 1, 1995; Oct. 29 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-1 amended Subsec. (a) by increasing membership by adding two advocates for foster families, two representatives of the Department of Children and Families, two representatives of the Office of Policy and Management and one representative of the Comptroller, added Subsec. (b)(13) re coordination with coverage under the HUSKY Plan and made technical changes, effective October 30, 1997; P.A. 99-167 added new Subsec. (b)(14) re program quality studies, relettered the remaining subdivision and made technical changes; P.A. 99-230 amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 06-188 amended Subsec. (a) to expand council by adding the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, and added new Subsec. (b)(15) re managed care portion of the state-administered general assistance program and redesignate existing Subdiv. (15) as Subdiv. (16), effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 07-148 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “substance abuse disabilities” with “substance use disorders”; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 12, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing provision re two members who are community providers of health care with provision re members who are representatives of state-selected managed care organization and primary care case management provider, amended Subsec. (b) by adding Subdiv. (17) re recommendations concerning primary care case management pilot program, added new Subsec. (d) allowing commissioner to apply for funding for Medicaid managed care programs and redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) and (e) as Subsecs. (e) and (f), effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 10-179 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) and existing Subsecs. (d) and (e) by replacing references to managed care with references to care management, amended Subsec. (a) by renaming council as “Council on Medicaid Care Management Oversight” and deleting provisions requiring council to advise Waiver Application Development Council and appointing members of Health Care Access Board to be ex-officio council members, amended Subsec. (b)(13) by adding reference to HUSKY Plan, Part A and other health care programs administered by department, amended Subsec. (b)(15) by replacing reference to managed care portion of state-administered general assistance program with references to HUSKY Plan, Medicaid care management programs and Charter Oak Health Plan, deleted former Subsec. (c) re federal waiver and implementation and redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) to (f) as Subsecs. (c) to (e), effective May 7, 2010; P.A. 11-44 divided existing Subsec. (a) into Subsecs. (a), (b) and (d), amended Subsec. (a) by changing council name to “Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight”, replacing provision requiring council to advise on Medicaid care management with provision requiring council to advise on health care delivery system for specified programs, adding provision requiring council to monitor matters related to Medicaid care management initiatives, designating existing provisions re matters to be monitored as Subdivs. (1) to (4), adding Subdiv. (5) re outcome measures and Subdiv. (6) re issuance of request for proposal and making technical changes, amended Subsec. (b) by specifying that existing membership appointments are in effect on or before June 30, 2011, added new Subsec. (c) re membership appointments in effect on and after July 1, 2011, amended Subsec. (d) by deleting provision re first meeting and making technical changes, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (e) and amended same by adding requirement that council monitor items specified in Subdivs. (1) to (15), replacing “guaranteed access to enrollees” with provision re enrollment process in Subdiv. (1), adding specific types of providers in Subdiv. (3), replacing “capitated rates provider payments, financing and staff resources” with provision re provider rates in Subdiv. (4), adding new Subdiv. (5) re funding and agency personnel management, redesignating existing Subdivs. (5) and (6) as Subdivs. (6) and (7), adding “medical home and health home models” in Subdiv. (6), replacing provision re quality assurance with provision re data on linguistic translation services in Subdiv. (7), adding new Subdiv. (8) re program quality, redesignating existing Subdivs. (8) to (14) as Subdivs. (9) to (15), adding reference to health care programs in Subdiv. (13), replacing reference to the HUSKY Plan and other health care program with reference to continuity among Medicaid programs and integration of care in Subdiv. (14), deleting former Subdivs. (15) to (17), adding provision re participation in review of contract with administrative services organization and making technical changes, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as Subsecs. (f) and (g), amended Subsec. (g) by replacing provision re plans and implementation of the Medicaid care management program with provision re matters described in Subsec. (e), adding requirement that commissioner provide quarterly financial reports and making technical changes, redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (h) and amended same by replacing requirement that council report quarterly with requirement that council report biannually, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-125 amended Subsec. (c)(1) and (11) to add chairpersons and ranking members of joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to aging and Commissioner on Aging to council membership, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-234 amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to Charter Oak Health Plan, effective January 1, 2014; P.A. 14-206 amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions re appointment of members representing the Connecticut Hospital Association, the business community and the nursing home industry, and a physician who serves Medicaid clients, added new Subsecs. (h) and (i) establishing a standing subcommittee on Medicaid cost savings and redesignated existing Subsec. (h) as Subsec. (j), effective June 13, 2014; P.A. 15-69 amended Subsec. (a) to replace references to HUSKY Plan, Parts A and B and the Medicaid program with reference to HUSKY Health program and amended Subsec. (c)(5) to change “HUSKY program” to “HUSKY Health program,” effective June 19, 2015; P.A. 16-142 added Subsec. (k) re establishing standing subcommittee on children and adults who have complex health care needs, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 16-193 amended Subsec. (e) by substituting “the HUSKY Health program” for “each Department of Social Services administered health care program” and making a conforming change in Subdiv. (1) and by substituting “the HUSKY Health program” for “each of the health care programs set forth in subsection (a) of this section” in Subdiv. (13); May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing reference to executive director of Commission on Aging or designee with reference to executive director of Commission on Women, Children and Seniors or designee in Subdiv. (8) and by replacing reference to executive director of Commission on Children or designee with reference to member of Commission on Women, Children and Seniors designated by executive director in Subdiv. (9), effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 17-33 deleted existing Subsecs. (h) and (i) re standing committee established to study best practices re Medicaid cost savings and redesignated existing Subsecs. (j) and (k) as Subsecs. (h) and (i); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “July 1, 2011” with “October 31, 2017”, and deleting reference to Commissioner on Aging in Subdiv. (11), effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 18-48 amended Subsec. (c)(8) by making a technical change, effective May 29, 2018; P.A. 18-169 amended Subsec. (c)(11) by adding “, Rehabilitation Services”, effective June 14, 2018; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (c)(9) by replacing “Commission on Women, Children and Seniors” with “Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity”, effective July 1, 2019 (Revisor's note: Pursuant to P.A. 19-117, “Commission on Women, Children and Seniors” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity” in Subsec. (c)(8)); P.A. 19-157 amended Subsec. (c)(11) by replacing “Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services” with “Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services”.

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