Bill Text: CA AB2430 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Medi-Cal: program for aged and disabled persons.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-08-16 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2430 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB2430-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Senate
June 07, 2018 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION
| Assembly Bill | No. 2430 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Arambula (Coauthors: Assembly Members Burke, Chiu, Friedman, Lackey, Waldron, and Wood) |
February 14, 2018 |
An act to amend Section 14005.40 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to Medi-Cal.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2430, as amended, Arambula.
Medi-Cal: program for aged and disabled persons.
Existing law establishes 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. Existing law requires the department to exercise its option under federal law to implement a program for aged and disabled persons, as described. Existing law requires an individual under these provisions to satisfy certain financial eligibility requirements, including, among other things, that his or her countable income does not exceed an income standard equal to 100% of the applicable federal poverty level, plus an income disregard of $230 for an individual, or $310 in the case of a couple, except that the income standard determined shall not be less than the SSI/SSP payment level for a disabled
individual or couple, as applicable. Existing law authorizes the department to implement this program by means of all-county letters or similar instructions without taking regulatory action and thereafter requires the department to adopt regulations.
This bill would instead require, upon receipt of federal approval, all countable income over 100% of the federal poverty level, up to 138% of the federal poverty level, to be disregarded, after taking all other disregards, deductions, and exclusions into account for those persons eligible under the program for aged and disabled persons. The bill would provide that the income level determined based on a countable income that does not exceed an income level equal to 100% of the applicable federal poverty level, plus an income disregard of $230 for an individual, or $310 in the case of a couple, shall not be less than the SSI/SSP payment level the individual or couple, as applicable, receives or would receive as a disabled
or blind individual or couple. The bill would require a specified provision to be implemented after the Director of Health Care Services determines, and communicates that determination in writing to the Department of Finance, that systems have been programmed for implementation of that provision, but no sooner than January 1, 2019.
The bill would authorize the department to implement, interpret, or make specific the above-described program for aged and disabled persons by means of all-county letters, plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions until regulations are adopted, and would require the department to adopt regulations no later than July 1, 2021. 2022. The bill would require the department to provide a status report on a semiannual basis to the Legislature until
regulations have been adopted. The bill would provide that the program shall be implemented only if and to the extent that any necessary federal approvals have been obtained.
Because counties are required to make Medi-Cal eligibility determinations, and this bill would expand Medi-Cal eligibility by increasing the income disregard amounts and would increase the responsibility of counties in determining 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.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 14005.40 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:14005.40.
(a) To the extent federal financial participation is available, the department shall exercise its option under Section 1902(a)(10)(A)(ii)(X) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396a(a)(10)(A)(ii)(X)), to implement a program for aged and disabled persons as described in Section 1902(m) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396a(m)(1)).(b) To the extent federal financial participation is available, the blind shall be included within the definition of disabled for the purposes of the program established in this section.
(c) An individual shall satisfy the
financial eligibility requirement of this program if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) Countable income, as determined in accordance with Section 1902(m) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396a(m)), does not exceed an income level equal to 100 percent of the applicable federal poverty level.
(2) (A) Until such time as the department obtains federal approval for the income disregard described in paragraph (3), countable income shall include an additional two hundred thirty dollars ($230) for an individual or, in the case of a couple, three hundred ten dollars ($310).
(B) Upon receipt of federal approval for, and implementation of, paragraph (3), this
paragraph shall become inoperative. The director shall execute a declaration, which shall be retained by the director, stating that federal approval for paragraph (3) has been obtained and the date upon which paragraph (3) will be implemented. The director shall post the declaration on the department’s Internet Web site.
(3) (A) Pursuant to Section 1902(r)(2) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396a(r)(2)), all countable income over 100 percent of the federal poverty level, up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, shall be disregarded, after taking all other disregards, deductions, and exclusions into account for those persons eligible pursuant to this section.
(B) The department shall seek federal approval to implement this
paragraph.
(4) (A) For the purposes of calculating countable income under this section, an income exemption shall be applied as necessary to adjust the SSI/SSP payment level as used in this section so that it is the same as the SSI/SSP payment level that was in place on May 1, 2009.
(B) This additional income exemption shall cease to be implemented when the SSI/SSP payment levels increase beyond those in effect on May 1, 2009.
(C) The income level determined pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not be less than the SSI/SSP payment level the individual receives or would receive as a disabled or blind individual or, in the case of a couple, the SSI/SSP payment level the couple receives or would
receive as a disabled or blind couple.
(5) Countable resources, as determined in accordance with Section 1902(m) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396a(m)), do not exceed the maximum levels established in that section.
(d) The financial eligibility requirements provided in subdivision (c) may be adjusted upwards to reflect the cost of living in California, contingent upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act.
(e) 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. Thereafter, the instructions until regulations are adopted.
(1) The department shall adopt regulations no later than by
July 1, 2021,
2022, 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. 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.
(f) For purposes of calculating income under this section during any calendar year, increases in social security benefit payments under Title II of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 401 et seq.) arising from cost-of-living adjustments shall be disregarded commencing in the month that these social security benefit payments are increased by the cost-of-living adjustment through the month before the month in which a change in the federal poverty level requires the
department to modify the income level described in subdivision (c).
(g) (1) For purposes of this section the following definitions apply:
(A) “SSI” means the federal Supplemental Security Income program established under Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act.
(B) “Income level” means the applicable income level specified in subdivision (c).
(C) The board and care “personal care services” or “PCS” deduction refers to an income disregard that is applied to a resident in a licensed community care facility in lieu of the board and care deduction (equal to the amount by which the basic board and care rate exceeds the income
level in subparagraph
(B)) when the PCS deduction is greater than the board and care deduction.
(2) (A) For purposes of this section, the SSI recipient retention amount is the amount by which the SSI maximum payment amount to an individual residing in a licensed community care facility exceeds the maximum amount that the state allows community care facilities to charge a resident who is an SSI recipient.
(B) For the purposes of this section, the personal and incidental needs deduction for an individual residing in a licensed community care facility is either of the following:
(i) If the board and care deduction is applicable to the individual, the amount, not to exceed the amount by which the SSI recipient retention
amount exceeds twenty dollars ($20), nor to be less than zero, by which the sum of the amount which the individual pays to his or her licensed community care facility and the SSI recipient retention amount exceed the sum of the individual’s income level, the individual’s board and care deduction, and twenty dollars ($20).
(ii) If the PCS deduction specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) is applicable to the individual, an amount, not to exceed the amount by which the SSI recipient retention amount exceeds twenty dollars ($20), nor to be less than zero, by which the sum of the amount which the individual pays to his or her community care facility and the SSI recipient retention amount exceed the sum of the individual’s income level, the individual’s PCS deduction, and twenty dollars ($20).
(3) In determining the countable income under this section of an individual residing in a licensed community care facility, the individual shall have deducted from his or her income the amount specified in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2).
(h) No later than one month after the effective date of subdivision (g), the department shall submit to the federal
Medicaid administrator a state plan amendment seeking approval of the income deduction specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (g), and of federal financial participation for the costs resulting from that income deduction.
(i) The deduction prescribed by paragraph (3) of subdivision (g) shall be applied no later than the first day of the fourth month after the month in which the department receives approval for the federal financial participation specified in subdivision (h). Until approval for federal financial participation is received, there shall be no deduction under paragraph (3) of subdivision (g).
(j) This section shall be implemented only if and to the extent that any necessary federal approvals have been obtained.
(k) Paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) shall be implemented after the director determines, and communicates that determination in writing to the Department of Finance, that systems have been programmed for implementation of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), but no sooner than January 1, 2019.
