AB 1

Bill Subjects

Abstract

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. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2014, implement various provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act) , as amended, by, among other things, modifying provisions relating to determining eligibility for certain groups. The bill would, in this regard, extend Medi-Cal eligibility to specified adults and would require that income eligibility be determined based on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) , as prescribed. The bill would prohibit the use of an asset or resources test for individuals whose financial eligibility for Medi-Cal is determined based on the application of MAGI. The bill would require that individuals who are enrolled in the Low Income Health Program as of December 31, 2013, under a specified waiver who are at or below 133% of the federal poverty level be transitioned directly to the Medi-Cal program, as prescribed. The bill would provide that the implementation of the optional expansion of Medi-Cal benefits to adults who meet specified eligibility requirements shall be contingent on the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) payable to the state under the Affordable Care Act is not being reduced below specified percentages, as specified. 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 bill would require the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) to implement a workflow transfer protocol, as prescribed, for persons calling the customer service center operated by the Exchange for the purpose of applying for an insurance affordability program, to ascertain which individuals are potentially eligible for Medi-Cal. This bill would also prescribe the authority the department, the Exchange, and the counties would have, until July 1, 2015, to perform Medi-Cal eligibility determinations. The bill would require the department to verify the accuracy of certain information that is provided as part of the application or redetermination process when determining whether an individual is eligible for Medi-Cal benefits, as prescribed. The bill would require the department, any other government agency that is determining eligibility for, or enrollment in, the Medi-Cal program or any other program administered by the department, or collecting protected information for those purposes, and the Exchange to share specified information with each other as necessary to enable them to perform their respective statutory and regulatory duties under state and federal law. Existing law requires an applicant or beneficiary, as specified, who resides in an area served by a managed health care plan or pilot program in which beneficiaries may enroll, to personally attend a presentation at which the applicant or beneficiary is informed of managed care and fee-for-service options for receiving Medi-Cal benefits. Existing law requires the applicant or beneficiary to indicate in writing his or her choice of health care options and provides that if the applicant or beneficiary does not make a choice, he or she shall be assigned to and enrolled in an appropriate Medi-Cal managed care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider providing service within the area in which the beneficiary resides. Existing law requires the department to develop a program, as specified, to implement these provisions. This bill would revise these provisions to, among other things, require the department to develop a program to allow individuals or their authorized representatives to select Medi-Cal managed care plans via the California Healthcare Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System (CalHEERs) . Existing law requires Medi-Cal beneficiaries, with some exceptions, to file semiannual status reports to ensure that beneficiaries make timely and accurate reports of any change in circumstance that may affect their eligibility and requires, with some exceptions, a county to promptly redetermine eligibility whenever a county receives information about changes in a beneficiary's circumstances that may affect eligibility for Medi-Cal benefits. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2014, revise these provisions to, among other things, delete the semiannual status report requirement and require a county to perform redeterminations every 12 months. The bill would require any forms signed by the beneficiary for purposes of redetermining eligibility to be signed under penalty of perjury. By expanding the crime of perjury, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would become operative only if SB 1 of the 2013–14 First Extraordinary Session is enacted and takes effect.