[§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]