The Department of Public Health, 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 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. 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; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 29; P.A. 12-170, S. 4.)

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; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 deleted references to Office of Health Care Access and Commissioner of Health Care Access or designee re consultative role in establishment and administration of demonstration program, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 12-170 deleted provisions re additions to hospital budgets re fiscal years 1992 to 1994.

See Sec. 19a-490a for definition of “community health center”.