This Act prohibits the practice known as patient brokering, which is the practice where patient brokers are paid a fee to place insured people in treatment centers so that the treatment centers receive thousands of dollars in insurance claim payments for each patient. Increasingly, patient brokers fraudulently enroll patients in low-deductible health plans with out-of-network treatment benefits. Patient brokers target individuals with substance use disorders, who are told that they are receiving their treatment through a scholarship. Not only does this perpetrate fraud against insurers, when insurance plans are terminated for nonpayment of the premium, individuals are discharged from the treatment program with no services or housing and often in a state that is far from home.
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The bill expands the qualified agencies authorized to receive grants approved by the Water Infrastructure Advisory Council to include non-profit corporations, such as the Diamond State Sustainability Corporation (“DSSC”), approved by Public Service Commission as a regulated water or wastewater utility. As a regulated utility, the DSSC assists low and moderate income residents and communities in rural areas of Delaware by acquiring and improving community-owned water and wastewater systems, many of which are aging or at risk of failure, and providing service pursuant to Commission-approved rates. This bill also expands the definition of “treatment works” to include “domestic wastewater” projects in order to allow for grants for community septic and sewage system upgrades.
This Act adds coverage for Medication Assisted Treatment ("MAT") for drug and alcohol dependencies to the mental health parity laws for health insurance. This Act requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for prescription medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for MAT at no greater financial burden than for prescription medication for other illness or disease, without step therapy requirements, and at the lowest tier of the drug formulary. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This Act extends the time period for which a member of the Delaware National Guard may receive funding for certain postsecondary education tuition and fees from 10 years after the date on which the member begins the first course for which funds are granted to 15 years after that date.
Unmanned aircraft systems are capable of introducing contraband into detention facilities without undergoing correctional officer inspections. This bill seeks to prohibit the use of unmanned aircraft systems (drones) to introduce contraband into detention facilities. This bill makes it a class F felony to deliver or attempt to deliver contraband by use of a drone.
Delaware is one of only 3 states that does not offer some form of adult dental coverage through Medicaid (alongside Tennessee and Alabama). Dental care is health care. And, studies have shown that poor dental health care can result in serious infections and abscess in the face, neck, and jaw areas requiring some individuals to go to the emergency room where they may spend days in intensive care or even die. This ultimately costs states more money through their Medicaid program that could be saved if dental care were covered. This Act expands Delaware's Public Assistance Code to provide dental care to all eligible adult Medicaid recipients. Payments for dental care treatments are subject to a $3 recipient copay and the total amount of dental care assistance provided to an eligible recipient may not exceed $1,000 per year, except that an additional $1,500 may be authorized on an emergency basis for dental care treatments through a review process established by the Department of Health and Social Services. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Substitute Act differs from Senate Bill No. 92 (150th General Assembly) because it changes the effective date of this Act to be April 1, 2020, and removes provisions made unnecessary by the change.
This Act revises Delaware Insurance Code provisions related to the individual and group health insurance markets to directly incorporate into Delaware law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections related to the following: (1) The prohibition of preexisting condition provisions. (2) Guaranteed issue and availability of coverage. (3) Permissible rating factors. This Act also ties references in Delaware law to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to that law as it was in effect on January 1, 2018. This ensures the ACA’s core consumer protection provisions will remain in place during the uncertainty surrounding the ACA in light of recent court challenges. Finally, this Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This bill allows our wounded warriors or similar veterans' organizations who have been honorably discharged from the armed forces of the United States and have at least a 60% service-connected disability to be able to obtain a license to hunt, trap, and fish in this State without charge.
This Act clarifies the rules for driving on Delaware roadways. It mandates the general rule that drivers operate vehicles in the right-most lane subject to some exceptions. It also mandates that, on the limited access portions of Route 1 only (currently from I-95 to south of Dover), trucks over 10,000 pounds of registered gross weight must drive in the right-hand land subject to some exceptions. Finally, it creates civil penalties for drivers on the limited access portions of Route 1 (currently from I-95 to south of Dover) who do not abide by the requirements of this Act. This bill addresses the problem of operators of vehicles driving below the designated speed limit in in the left-hand lane of State Route 1 and causing congestion thereon.
This Act strengthens the role and responsibilities of the Provider Advisory Board in regard to the implementation and enforcement of The Delaware Child Care Act.