BHB/2/15
Sponsored by Ananya Chakraborty, Eliot Long, Caroline Daniel of Baylor School
This legislation was filed in the Commerce and Insurance category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1) Terms in this act will be defined as follows: |
| 4 | a. Disabled: anyone who meets the Americans with Disabilities Act definition of being disabled: “a |
| 5 | person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities; has |
| 6 | a record of such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment” |
| 7 | b. Cost-sharing: share of costs not covered by insurance that a person pays out of their pocket |
| 8 | c. Buy-in programs: an optional work incentive program designed for disabled individuals who |
| 9 | want to work or are working |
| 10 | d. Eligibility: having the right to do something through satisfaction of the appropriate conditions |
| 11 | e. Assets: property owned by a person or company that has value and can settle debts or |
| 12 | commitments |
| 13 | f. Income: money received in exchange for labor or products that can be |
| 14 | g. Premium payments: the amount you pay for your health insurance every month |
| 15 | h. TennCare: the Medicare/Medicaid program for Tennessee |
| 16 | i. Resource limit: The maximum combined value of all resources an individual can have an |
| 17 | ownership interest in and still qualify for Medicare |
| 18 | j. Employed: a paid mutual work arrangement between between a recruiter and an employee |
| 19 | k. Involuntary Termination: the ending of an individual’s employment by their employer for |
| 20 | reasons beyond the individual’s control |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Section 2) This program will hereby be named the Aid for Working Disabled Persons (AWDP). |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Section 3) |
| 25 | A. No restrictions will be placed upon an individual based on their age or assets. |
| 26 | B. The maximum annual income that a person can earn and still be eligible for this buy-in program |
| 27 | is $182,100 without taxes. |
| 28 | a. Federal approval is required to remove any resource limit and exclude an individual’s saving |
| 29 | amassed in any separate accounts. |
| 30 | b. Income and assets of spouses and other household members should be excluded from the |
| 31 | income and assets of the disabled individual when establishing cost-sharing requirements. |
| 32 | C. A grace period of six months will be given to any disabled person who is involuntarily |
| 33 | terminated from their job. |
| 34 | a. In order to receive the grace period, the disabled individual is required to submit their place of |
| 35 | employment and reason for dismissal to the AWDP. |
| 36 | D. The AWDP will still give coverage to any disabled working person who receives heath coverage |
| 37 | from an employer. It will be in addition to any benefits from an employer. |
| 38 | |
| 39 | F. In order to access this program, the disabled individual is obligated to pay a monthly premium |
| 40 | of 3% of their total monthly income. |
| 41 | a. If an individual’s income changes, the premium remains the same price until the next month. |
| 42 | b. They are required to report their monthly income at the beginning of every year, but they can |
| 43 | also report it at anytime throughout the year and the premium will adapt to their new income. |
| 44 | c. People who fail to adhere to this lose privileges of the program and face charges for fraud. |
| 45 | |
| 46 | Section 4) This act shall be funded by the funds from the TennCare block grant funding |
| 47 | agreement. |
| 48 | |
| 49 | Section 5) All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this are hereby repealed. |
| 50 | |
| 51 | Section 6) This act shall take effect January 1st, 2025 |
| 52 |