Amended  IN  Assembly  March 25, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 112

Introduced by Assembly Member Holden

December 17, 2020

An act to amend Section 14011.10 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to Medi-Cal.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 112, as amended, Holden. 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. Existing law provides for the suspension of Medi-Cal benefits to an inmate of a public institution, which ends on the date they are no longer an inmate of a public institution or one year from the date they become an inmate of a public institution, whichever is sooner.
Existing federal law prohibits a state from terminating Medi-Cal eligibility for an eligible juvenile if they are an inmate of a public institution, authorizes the suspension of Medicaid benefits to that eligible juvenile, and requires a state to conduct a redetermination of Medicaid eligibility or process an application for medical assistance under the Medicaid program for an eligible juvenile who is an inmate of a public institution. Under existing state law, the suspension of Medi-Cal benefits to an inmate of a public institution who is a juvenile, as defined in federal law, ends when the individual is no longer an eligible juvenile pursuant to federal law or one year from the date the individual becomes an inmate of a public institution, whichever is later.
This bill would instead require the suspension of Medi-Cal benefits to an inmate of a public institution who is not a juvenile to end on the date they are no longer an inmate of a public institution or 3 years from the date they become an inmate of a public institution, whichever is sooner. The bill would also require the suspension of Medi-Cal benefits to an inmate of a public institution who is a juvenile on the date that the individual is no longer an inmate of a public institution or 3 years after the date the individual is no longer an eligible juvenile under federal law, whichever is sooner.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 14011.10 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

14011.10.
 (a) Except as provided in Sections 14053.7 and 14053.8, benefits provided under this chapter to an individual who is an inmate of a public institution shall be suspended in accordance with Section 1396d(a)(29)(A) of Title 42 of the United States Code as provided in subdivisions (c) and (d).
(b) A county welfare department shall notify the department within 10 days of receiving information that an individual on Medi-Cal in the county is or will be an inmate of a public institution.
(c) Until October 1, 2020, if an individual is a Medi-Cal beneficiary on the date they become an inmate of a public institution, their benefits under this chapter and under Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200) shall be suspended effective the date they become an inmate of a public institution. The suspension shall end on the date they are no longer an inmate of a public institution or one year from the date they become an inmate of a public institution, whichever is sooner.
(d) Commencing October 1, 2020, if an individual is a Medi-Cal beneficiary on the date they become an inmate of a public institution, their benefits under this chapter and under Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200) shall be suspended effective the date they become an inmate of a public institution. The suspension shall end according to the following:
(1) For an individual who is not defined as a juvenile under Section 1396a(nn)(1)(A) or 1396a(nn)(1)(B) of Title 42 of the United States Code, the suspension shall end on the date the individual is no longer an inmate of a public institution or three years from the date the individual becomes an inmate of a public institution, whichever is sooner.
(2) For an individual who is defined as a juvenile under Section 1396a(nn)(1)(A) or 1396a(nn)(1)(B) of Title 42 of the United States Code, the suspension shall end on the date that the individual is no longer an inmate of a public institution or three years after the date the individual is no longer an eligible juvenile pursuant to Section 1396a(a)(84) of Title 42 of the United States Code, whichever is sooner.
(e) The department, in consultation with stakeholders, including the County Welfare Directors Association of California and advocates, shall develop and implement a redetermination of eligibility, to the extent required by federal law, pursuant to Section 14005.37, for individuals referenced in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) whose eligibility is suspended pursuant to this section.
(f) This section does not create a state-funded benefit or program. Health care services under this chapter and Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200) shall not be available to inmates of public institutions whose Medi-Cal benefits have been suspended under this section.
(g) This section shall be implemented only if and to the extent allowed by federal law. This section shall be implemented only if and to the extent that federal financial participation is available and any necessary federal approval of state plan amendments or other federal approvals have been obtained.
(h) This section shall be implemented on January 1, 2010, or the date when all necessary federal approvals are obtained, whichever is later.
(i) By January 1, 2010, or the date when all necessary federal approvals are obtained, whichever is later, the department, in consultation with the Chief Probation Officers of California and the County Welfare Directors Association of California, shall establish the protocols and procedures necessary to implement this section, including any needed changes to the protocols and procedures previously established to implement Section 14029.5.
(j) The department shall determine whether federal financial participation will be jeopardized by implementing this section and shall implement this section only if and to the extent that federal financial participation is not jeopardized.
(k) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department shall implement this section by means of all-county letters or similar instructions without taking regulatory action. 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.