[§431N-3]  State health insurance
program established.  There is established within the department of health
the state health insurance program whose goals shall be to:



(1)  Subsidize health care coverage for gap group
individuals, including but not necessarily limited to outpatient primary and
preventive care;



(2)  Encourage the uninsured who can afford to
participate in existing health plans to seek that coverage;



(3)  Discourage individuals who are already adequately
insured from seeking benefits under the state health insurance program;



(4)  Assure that those persons who have the ability to
pay for all or part of their coverage be appropriately assessed by the
contractors on a sliding fee scale basis; and



(5)  Ensure that the state health insurance program is
affordable to gap group individuals.



The program shall be funded by legislative
appropriations made to the department of health. [L 1989, c 378, pt of §1]