(1) Private health insurance carriers that are required to make payment of benefits for early intervention services for which coverage is required pursuant to section 10-16-104 (1.3), C.R.S., shall pay benefits to the department in trust for payment to a broker or provider for early intervention services provided to an eligible child. Upon notification from the department that a child is eligible, the child's private health insurance carrier shall have thirty days to make payment to the department.
(2) (a) When a private health insurance carrier makes payments of benefits for an eligible child to the department in trust, those moneys shall be deposited in the early intervention services trust fund, which trust fund is hereby created in the state treasury. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (2), the principal of the trust fund shall only be used to pay certified early intervention service brokers or qualified early intervention service providers for early intervention services provided to the eligible child for whom the moneys were paid to the department in trust by the private health insurance carrier. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (2), the principal of the trust fund shall not constitute state fiscal year spending for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution, and such moneys shall be deemed custodial funds that are not subject to appropriation by the general assembly.
(b) (I) For the 2008-09 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, the general assembly shall make appropriations to the department from the principal of the early intervention services trust fund for the direct and indirect costs of administering this section. Any moneys appropriated to the department pursuant to this paragraph (b) shall constitute state fiscal year spending for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution.
(II) All interest derived from the deposit and investment of moneys in the early intervention services trust fund shall be credited to the trust fund, may be appropriated to the department in accordance with this paragraph (b), and shall constitute state fiscal year spending for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution.
(c) Within ninety days after the department determines that a child is no longer an eligible child for purposes of section 10-16-104 (1.3), C.R.S., the department shall notify the carrier that the child is no longer eligible and that the carrier is no longer required to provide the coverage required by said section for that child. Any moneys deposited in the trust fund on behalf of an eligible child that are not expended on behalf of the child before the child becomes ineligible shall be returned to the carrier that made the payments in trust for the child.
(3) No later than March 1, 2009, and no later than April 1 each year thereafter, the department shall provide a report to each private health insurance carrier that has made payments of benefits for an eligible child to the department in trust. The report shall specify the total amount of benefits paid to brokers or qualified providers for services provided to the eligible child during the prior calendar year, including the amount paid to each broker or qualified provider and the services provided to the eligible child. The report required by this subsection (3) shall be provided at least annually and more often, as determined by the department and the carrier.
Source: L. 2008: Entire part R&RE, p. 1466, § 11, effective August 5. L. 2009: (1),
(2)(a), (2)(c), and (3) amended, (HB 09-1237), ch. 216, p. 979, § 4, effective May 2.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 27-10.5-706 as it existed prior to 2008.