HB504 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jim Patterson

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Health, chronic disease, Public Health Department, State Employees' Insurance Board, Public Education Employees' Health Insurance Board, and Medicaid to develop plan to reduce amongst population they serve, report to Legislative committees

Summary

HB504 would require Alabama health agencies and health boards to develop a plan to reduce chronic disease and improve care coordination, and to report annually on progress to lawmakers.

What This Bill Does

The bill requires four state bodies—the Department of Public Health, the Medicaid Agency, the State Employees' Insurance Board, and the Public Education Employees' Health Insurance Board—to collaborate on a plan to reduce chronic disease and improve care coordination. It specifies that the plan include goals, benchmarks, and wellness/prevention programs tailored to the groups they serve, and that an annual report be submitted to the Governor, the State Health Officer, and several legislative committees. The annual report must describe goals, tailored plans for Medicaid recipients and insured public employees, the financial impact of chronic conditions, benefits of wellness programs, coordination among agencies, and a detailed care-coordination action plan with budget and proposed legislative actions. The act would take effect on the first day of the third month after passage.

Who It Affects

• Medicaid recipients: the bill requires tailored wellness and prevention plans and improved care coordination through the new plan, aiming to reduce chronic disease among this group.
• State and local government employees insured through the State Employees' Insurance Board and public education employees insured through the Public Education Employees' Health Insurance Board: their wellness/prevention plans and care coordination are to be described and implemented as part of the annual reporting and coordinated efforts.

Key Provisions

• Require collaboration among the Department of Public Health, the Medicaid Agency, the State Employees' Insurance Board, and the Public Education Employees' Health Insurance Board to develop a plan that reduces chronic disease and improves chronic care coordination.
• The plan must identify goals and benchmarks and specify wellness and prevention plans tailored to the covered groups.
• Mandate an annual report due on or before January 1 each year to the Governor, the State Health Officer, and specified House/Senate Health and Ways & Means committees, plus the Legislative Fiscal Office.
• Report contents must include: goals/benchmarks, tailored wellness plans for Medicaid recipients and insured employees, description of financial impact and magnitude of chronic conditions, assessment of benefits from wellness programs, breakdown of funds for wellness/prevention activities, coordination among agencies, and a detailed action plan for care coordination with proposed legislative actions and expected outcomes.
• Action plan must address reducing hospital readmission rates, transitional care, comprehensive medication management, and adoption of publicly reported quality standards, with benchmarks for the next fiscal year.
• Provide a detailed budget showing all costs to implement the action plans.
• The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health