(a) There is established a State-wide Primary Care Access Authority. The authority shall consist of the Commissioners of Public Health and Social Services, the Comptroller and the following members: One each appointed by the Connecticut Primary Care Association, the Connecticut State Medical Society, the Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Connecticut Nurses Association, the Connecticut Association of School-Based Health Centers, the Connecticut State Dental Association, the Connecticut Community Providers Association and the Weitzman Center for Innovation In Community Health and Primary Care and two appointed by the Commissioner of Public Health. Members shall serve for a term of four years commencing on August 1, 2007. All initial appointments to the committee shall be made by July 15, 2007. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.

(b) The members of the State-wide Primary Care Access Authority shall elect cochairpersons from among the members of the authority. Members shall serve without compensation but shall, within available appropriations, be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.

(c) The chairpersons shall convene the first meeting of the State-wide Primary Care Access Authority not later than October 1, 2007. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the committee.

(d) All members appointed to the authority shall be familiar with the criteria of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies Principles for Healthcare Reform and shall be committed to making recommendations about health care reform for the state of Connecticut that are consistent with said criteria.

(e) The State-wide Primary Care Access Authority shall:

(1) Determine what constitutes primary care services for purposes of subdivisions (2) to (4), inclusive, of this section;

(2) Inventory the state's existing primary care infrastructure, including, but not limited to, (A) the number of primary care providers practicing in the state, (B) the total amount of money expended on public and private primary care services during the last fiscal year, (C) the number of public and private buildings or offices used primarily for the rendering of primary care services, including, but not limited to, hospitals, mental health facilities, dental offices, school-based health clinics, community-based health centers and academic health centers. For the purposes of this subdivision, “primary care provider” means any physician, dentist, nurse, provider of services for persons with psychiatric disabilities or persons with intellectual disability, or other person involved in providing primary medical, nursing, counseling, or other health care, substance abuse or mental health service, including such services associated with, or under contract to, a health maintenance organization or medical services plan.

(3) Not later than December 31, 2008, develop a universal system for providing primary care services, including prescription drugs, to all residents of the state that maximizes federal financial participation in Medicaid and Medicare. The committee shall (A) estimate the cost of fully implementing such universal system, (B) identify any additional infrastructure or personnel that would be necessary in order to fully implement such universal system, (C) determine the state's role and the role of third party entities in administering such universal system, (D) identify funding sources for such universal system, and (E) determine the role of private health insurance in such universal system.

(4) Develop a plan for implementing by July 1, 2010, the universal primary care system developed pursuant to subdivision (3) of this section. Such plan shall (A) include a timetable for implementation of the universal primary care system, (B) establish benchmarks to assess the state's progress in implementing the system, and (C) establish mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness of the primary care system, once implemented.

(f) The State-wide Primary Care Access Authority may (1) retain and employ consultants or assistants on a contract or other basis for rendering professional, legal, financial, technical or other assistance or advice as may be required to carry out its duties or responsibilities, and (2) apply for grants or financial assistance from any person, group of persons or corporation or from any agency of the state or of the United States.

(g) On or before February 1, 2008, and annually thereafter on or before January first, the State-wide Primary Care Access Authority shall report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, insurance and human services, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, concerning its progress in developing the universal primary care services system and the implementation plan for such system.

(P.A. 07-185, S. 31; P.A. 08-184, S. 19; P.A. 13-139, S. 27; 13-299, S. 18.)

History: P.A. 07-185 effective July 10, 2007; P.A. 08-184 amended Subsec. (a) by authorizing Connecticut State Dental Society and Connecticut Community Providers Association to each appoint one member to the authority, effective June 12, 2008; P.A. 13-139 amended Subsec. (e)(2) by substituting “persons with psychiatric disabilities or persons with intellectual disability” for “the mentally ill or persons with mental retardation”; P.A. 13-299 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provision re chairpersons of HealthFirst Connecticut Authority as members and add provision re 2 members appointed by Commissioner of Public Health and amended Subsec. (b) to delete provision requiring chairpersons of HealthFirst Connecticut Authority to act as cochairpersons and add provision re cochairpersons to be elected from among members, effective July 1, 2013.