Dirigo Health shall establish the Enrollee Hardship Fund to provide financial assistance to eligible individuals for whom the payment of the out-of-pocket maximum, including required deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, is a hardship based on income.__Dirigo Health shall adopt rules for income eligibility of eligible individuals, the amount of the financial assistance available and the application process for individuals.

Sec. A-19. 24-A MRSA §6913, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 469, Pt. A, §8, is repealed.

Sec. A-20. 24-A MRSA §§6914 and 6915, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 469, Pt. A, §8, are amended to read:

§6914. Intragovernmental transfer

Starting July 1, 2004, Dirigo Health shall transfer funds, as necessary, to a special dedicated, nonlapsing revenue account administered by the agency of State Government that administers MaineCare for the purpose of providing a state match for federal Medicaid dollars. Dirigo Health shall annually set the amount of contribution. The transfer may not include money collected as a savings payment offset pursuant to section 6913.

§6915. Dirigo Health Fund

The Dirigo Health Fund is created as to finance coverage under Dirigo Health.__The fund is a dedicated fund for the deposit of any funds advanced for initial operating expenses, payments made by employers and individuals, any savings offset payments made pursuant to section 6913 funds received from the State Tax Assessor pursuant to Title 36, section 2831 and any funds received from any public or private source. The fund may not lapse, but must be carried forward to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Expenditures from the fund are authorized for payments to participating carriers for Dirigo Health Insurance, payments for the administration of Dirigo Health and payments from the Enrollee Hardship Fund created under section 6912-A.

Sec. A-21. 36 MRSA c. 370-A is enacted to read:

CHAPTER 370-A

INDIVIDUAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT

§2831.__Assessment on wages and earnings