(1) The health insurance partnership board shall:

     (a) Develop policies for enrollment of small employers in the partnership, including minimum participation rules for small employer groups. The small employer shall determine the criteria for eligibility and enrollment in his or her plan and the terms and amounts of the employer's contributions to that plan, consistent with any minimum employer premium contribution level established by the board under (d) of this subsection;

     (b) Designate health benefit plans that are currently offered in the small group market that will be offered to participating small employers through the health insurance partnership and those plans that will qualify for premium subsidy payments. Up to five health benefit plans shall be chosen, with multiple deductible and point-of-service cost-sharing options. The health benefit plans shall range from catastrophic to comprehensive coverage, and one health benefit plan shall be a high deductible health plan accompanied by a health savings account. Every effort shall be made to include health benefit plans that include components to maximize the quality of care provided and result in improved health outcomes, such as preventive care, wellness incentives, chronic care management services, and provider network development and payment policies related to quality of care;

     (c) Approve a mid-range benefit plan from those selected to be used as a benchmark plan for calculating premium subsidies;

     (d) Determine whether there should be a minimum employer premium contribution on behalf of employees, and if so, how much;

     (e) Develop policies related to partnership participant enrollment in health benefit plans. The board may focus its initial efforts on access to coverage and affordability of coverage for participating small employers and their employees. To the extent necessary for successful implementation of the partnership, the board may:

     (i) Limit partnership participant health benefit plan choice; and

     (ii) Offer former employees of participating small employers the opportunity to continue coverage after separation from employment to the extent that a former employee is eligible for continuation coverage under 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1161 et seq.;

     (f) Determine appropriate health benefit plan rating methodologies. The methodologies shall be based on the small group adjusted community rate as defined in Title 48 RCW. The board shall evaluate the impact of applying the small group adjusted community rating methodology to health benefit plans purchased through the partnership on the principle of allowing each partnership participant to choose his or her health benefit plan, and may implement one or more risk adjustment or reinsurance mechanisms to reduce uncertainty for carriers and provide for efficient risk management of high-cost enrollees;

     (g) Determine whether the partnership should be designated as the administrator of a participating small employer health benefit plan and undertake the obligations required of a plan administrator under federal law in order to minimize administrative burdens on participating small employers;

     (h) Conduct analyses and provide recommendations as requested by the legislature and the governor, with the assistance of staff from the health care authority and the office of the insurance commissioner.

     (2) The board may authorize one or more limited health care service plans for dental care services to be offered by limited health care service contractors under RCW 48.44.035. However, such plan shall not qualify for subsidy payments.

     (3) In fulfilling the requirements of this section, the board shall consult with small employers, the office of the insurance commissioner, members in good standing of the American academy of actuaries, health carriers, agents and brokers, and employees of small business.

[2011 c 287 § 4; 2008 c 143 § 5; 2007 c 260 § 5.]