Committee backs licensing requirement for wellness reimbursement administrators

The West Virginia Senate Committee on Government Organization voted to report House Bill 55-27 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass and be first referred to the Committee on Finance. Professor Johnson, speaking as counsel to the committee, said the bill would require the insurance commissioner to license administrators of so-called "wellness reimbursement programs," define those programs, and prescribe civil and criminal penalties for failure to obtain a license.

The bill, Professor Johnson said, "requires a wellness reimbursement program administrator to be licensed by the insurance commissioner before the administrator may sell, offer, market, promote, or operate a wellness reimbursement program," and mandates an administrator attest to the commissioner and the employer or employee that the program complies with federal and state law.

The measure also sets duties for independent health insurance agents (described in the bill as brokers) and gives the insurance commissioner rulemaking authority and a reporting requirement to report on implementation every three years, Professor Johnson said. The committee moved to report the bill, and the chair declared the motion adopted after members signified agreement by saying "aye." The bill will proceed under its original double reference, with a first stop at Finance.

There was no extended debate recorded and no vote tally beyond the committee's vocal affirmation. The committee's recorded action was procedural: adoption of the motion to report the bill to the full Senate.