Capital letters indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate deletions from existing statute.

1997

HOUSE BILL 97­1144

BY REPRESENTATIVES G. Berry, Dyer, Hagedorn, McPherson, Schauer, K. Alexander, George, Lawrence, Schwarz, and Smith;

also SENATORS B. Alexander, Bishop, and Schroeder.


CONCERNING ALLOWABLE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION CASE CHARACTERISTIC CATEGORIES FOR SMALL EMPLOYER HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN PREMIUM DETERMINATIONS FOR COUNTIES THAT ARE NOT PART OF A PRIMARY METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA OR A METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.  10­16­102 (10) (b) (II), Colorado Revised Statutes, 1994 Repl. Vol., is amended to read:

10­16­102.  Definitions. As used in this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

(10) (b)  Effective January 1, 1995, "case characteristics" are limited to the following demographic characteristics:

(II)  Geographic location of the policyholder, including the following location categories only, UNLESS THE COMMISSIONER DETERMINES THAT, BASED ON DIFFERENCES IN MEDICAL COSTS FOR CERTAIN COUNTIES DESCRIBED IN SUB­SUBPARAGRAPHS (B) OR (C), OR BOTH, OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH (II), CERTAIN COUNTIES SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN ONE OR MORE SEPARATE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION CATEGORIES THAT THE COMMISSIONER MAY ESTABLISH:

(A)  Counties in Colorado that are part of a primary metropolitan statistical area or a metropolitan statistical area; except that different primary metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan statistical areas may have different rates;

(B)  Counties in Colorado with a population of twenty thousand or fewer residents; and

(C)  All other counties in Colorado;

SECTION 2.  Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.



____________________________ ____________________________

Charles E. Berry Tom Norton

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF

OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE





____________________________ ____________________________

Judith M. Rodrigue Joan M. Albi

CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF

OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE



APPROVED________________________________________




_________________________________________

Roy Romer

GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO