Bill Text: CA AB4 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 4 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Medi-Cal: eligibility.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-08-11 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB4 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB4-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 4

Introduced by Assembly Members Arambula, Bonta, Chiu, Gipson, Lorena Gonzalez, Reyes, and Santiago
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Carrillo)
(Coauthors: Senators Caballero, Durazo, and Wiener)

December 07, 2020

An act to amend Section 14007.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to Medi-Cal.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 4, as introduced, Arambula. Medi-Cal: eligibility.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. The federal Medicaid program provisions prohibit payment to a state for medical assistance furnished to an alien who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law.

Existing law requires individuals under 19 years of age enrolled in restricted-scope Medi-Cal at the time the Director of Health Care Services makes a determination that systems have been programmed for implementation of these provisions to be enrolled in the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits, if otherwise eligible, pursuant to an eligibility and enrollment plan, and extends eligibility for full scope Medi-Cal benefits to individuals who are under 25 years of age, and who are otherwise eligible for those benefits but for their immigration status. Existing law makes the effective date of enrollment for those individuals the same day that systems are operational to begin processing new applications pursuant to the director’s determination. Existing law requires an individual eligible for Medi-Cal under these provisions to enroll in a Medi-Cal managed care health plan. Existing law provides that Medi-Cal benefits for individuals who are 65 years of age or older, and who do not have satisfactory immigration statuses or are unable to establish satisfactory immigration statuses, as specified, are to be prioritized in the Budget Act for the upcoming fiscal year if the Department of Finance projects a positive ending balance in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties for the upcoming fiscal year and each of the ensuing 3 fiscal years that exceeds the cost of providing those individuals full scope Medi-Cal benefits.

Effective January 1, 2022, this bill would instead extend eligibility for full scope Medi-Cal benefits to anyone regardless of age, and who is otherwise eligible for those benefits but for their immigration status, pursuant to an eligibility and enrollment plan. The bill would delete the above-specified provisions regarding individuals who are under 25 years of age or 65 years of age or older and delaying implementation until the director makes the determination described above. The bill would require the eligibility and enrollment plan to ensure that an individual maintains continuity of care with respect to their primary care provider, as prescribed, would provide that an individual is not limited in their ability to select a different health care provider or Medi-Cal managed care health plan, and would require the department to provide monthly updates to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on the status of the implementation of these provisions. Because counties are required to make Medi-Cal eligibility determinations and this bill would expand Medi-Cal eligibility, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 14007.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

14007.8.
(a)(1)After the director determines, and communicates that determination in writing to the Department of Finance, that systems have been programmed for implementation of this section, but no sooner than May 1, 2016, an individual who is under 19 years of age and who does not have satisfactory immigration status or is unable to establish satisfactory immigration status as required by Section 14011.2 shall be eligible for the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits, if they are otherwise eligible for benefits under this chapter.
~~(2)(A)An individual under 19 years of age enrolled in Medi-Cal pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 14007.5 at the time the director makes the determination described in paragraph (1)~~

14007.8.

(a) (1) Effective January 1, 2022, an individual who does not have satisfactory immigration status or is unable to establish satisfactory immigration status, as required by Section 14011.2, shall be eligible for the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits, if they are otherwise eligible for benefits under this chapter.

(2) An individual enrolled in Medi-Cal pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 14007.5 shall be enrolled in the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits, if otherwise eligible, pursuant to an eligibility and enrollment plan. This plan shall include outreach strategies developed by the department in consultation with interested stakeholders, including, but not limited to, counties, health care service plans, consumer advocates, and the Legislature. An individual subject to this subparagraph ~~shall not be~~ is not required to file a new application for Medi-Cal.

(B)The effective date of enrollment into Medi-Cal for an individual described in subparagraph (A) shall be on the same day on which the systems are operational to begin processing new applications pursuant to the director’s determination described in paragraph (1).
(C)Beginning January 31, 2016, and until the director makes the determination described in paragraph (1), the department shall provide monthly updates to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on the status of the implementation of this section.
(b)After the director determines, and communicates that determination in writing to the Department of Finance, that systems have been programmed for implementation of this subdivision, but no sooner than July 1, 2019, an individual who is 19 to 25 years of age, inclusive, and who does not have satisfactory immigration status or is unable to establish satisfactory immigration status as required by Section 14011.2 shall be eligible for the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits, if they are otherwise eligible for benefits under this chapter.
(c)If in determining the projected budget condition for the upcoming fiscal year, the Department of Finance projects a positive ending balance in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties for the upcoming fiscal year and each of the ensuing three fiscal years that exceeds the cost of providing individuals who are 65 years of age or older, and who do not have satisfactory immigration statuses or are unable to establish satisfactory immigration statuses as required by Section 14011.2 for the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits, if they are otherwise eligible for benefits under this chapter, such benefits to such individuals shall be prioritized for inclusion in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
(b) (1) The eligibility and enrollment plan shall ensure, to the maximum extent possible, and for purposes of the Medi-Cal managed care delivery system, that an individual may maintain their primary care provider as their assigned primary care provider in the Medi-Cal managed care health plan’s provider network without disruption if their primary care provider is a contracted in-network provider within that Medi-Cal managed care health plan. For county health care access programs that assign individuals to a medical home or a primary care provider, the department shall work with counties, Medi-Cal managed care health plans, health care providers, consumer advocates, and other interested stakeholders, to ensure that an individual may maintain their primary care provider as their assigned primary care provider upon their enrollment into the Medi-Cal program if their primary care provider is a contracted in-network provider within the applicable Medi-Cal managed care health plan.
(2) This paragraph does not limit the ability of an individual enrolled in Medi-Cal pursuant to this section to select a different health care provider or, if there is more than one Medi-Cal managed care health plan available in the county where they reside, a different Medi-Cal managed care health plan, consistent with subdivision (g) of Section 14087.305 and paragraph (7) of subdivision (d) of Section 14089.
~~(d)~~

(c) To the extent permitted by state and federal law, an individual eligible under this section shall be required to enroll in a Medi-Cal managed care health plan. Enrollment in a Medi-Cal managed care health plan shall not preclude a beneficiary from being enrolled in any other children’s Medi-Cal specialty program ~~that~~ for which they would otherwise be ~~eligible for.~~ eligible.

~~(e)~~

(d) (1) The department shall maximize federal financial participation in implementing this section to the extent allowable, and, for purposes of implementing this section, the department shall claim federal financial participation to the extent that the department determines it is available.

(2) To the extent that federal financial participation is not available, the department shall implement this section using state funds appropriated for this purpose.

~~(f)~~

(e) This section shall be implemented only to the extent it is in compliance with Section 1621(d) of Title 8 of the United States Code.

~~(g)~~

(f) (1) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department, without taking any further regulatory action, shall implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of all-county letters, plan letters, plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions until the time any necessary regulations are adopted. Thereafter, the department shall adopt regulations in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(2) Commencing six months after the effective date of this section, and notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the department shall provide a status report to the Legislature on a semiannual basis, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, until regulations have been adopted.

~~(h)~~

(g) In implementing this section, the department may contract, as necessary, on a bid or nonbid basis. This subdivision establishes an accelerated process for issuing contracts pursuant to this section. Those contracts, and any other contracts entered into pursuant to this subdivision, may be on a noncompetitive bid basis and shall be exempt from the following:

(1) Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code and any policies, procedures, or regulations authorized by that part.

(2) Article 4 (commencing with Section 19130) of Chapter 5 of Part 2 of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(3) Review or approval of contracts by the Department of General Services.

(h) The department shall provide monthly updates to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on the status of the implementation of this section.

SEC. 2.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.