§ 9607. Funding; allocation of expenses

(a) The Office of the Health Care Advocate shall specify in its annual report filed pursuant to this chapter the sums expended by the Office in carrying out its duties, including identifying the specific amount expended for actuarial services.

(b)(1) Expenses incurred by the Office of the Health Care Advocate for services related to the Green Mountain Care Board's and Department of Financial Regulation's regulatory and supervisory duties shall be borne as follows:

(A) 27.5 percent by the State from State monies;

(B) 24.2 percent by the hospitals;

(C) 24.2 percent by nonprofit hospital and medical service corporations licensed under 8 V.S.A. chapter 123 or 125; and

(D) 24.2 percent by health insurance companies licensed under 8 V.S.A. chapter 101.

(2) Expenses under subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be billed to persons licensed under Title 8 based on premiums paid for health care coverage, which for the purposes of this section shall include major medical, comprehensive medical, hospital or surgical coverage, and comprehensive health care services plans, but shall not include long-term care or limited benefits, disability, credit or stop loss, or excess loss insurance coverage.

(3) The Green Mountain Care Board shall administer the bill back authority created in this subsection on behalf of the Agency of Human Services in support of the Agency's contract with the Office of the Health Care Advocate pursuant to section 9602 of this title to carry out the duties set forth in this chapter.

(c) It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Office of the Health Care Advocate shall maximize the amount of federal and grant funds available to support the activities of the Office. (Added 2013, No. 79, § 35a, eff. Jan. 1, 2014; amended 2015, No. 134 (Adj. Sess.), § 28; 2017, No. 85, § E.300.5, eff. June 28, 2017.)