BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1849
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Date of Hearing: April 13, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
1849 (Gipson) - As Amended March 28, 2016
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|Policy |Human Services |Vote:|6 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
No
SUMMARY: This bill amends the California Child Welfare Services
(CWS) system to conform to existing law mandating uninterrupted
Medi-Cal coverage until age 26 for former foster youth, as
specified. Specifically, this bill:
1)Expands the information, documents, and services that a county
welfare department must verify have been provided, or that
attempts have been made to provide, to a nonminor prior to the
court terminating dependency jurisdiction to include:
AB 1849
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a) Written verification that the nonminor is enrolled in
Medi-Cal;
b) The nonminor's Medi-Cal Benefits Identification Card;
and
c) Continued and uninterrupted enrollment in Medi-Cal, as
specified.
2)Requires mandatory health insurance information included in a
youth's or nonminor's 90-day transition plan to include
verification that the youth or nonminor is enrolled in
Medi-Cal, alongside a description of the steps that have been
or will be taken to ensure that the youth or nonminor is
transitioned into the Medi-Cal program for former foster youth
upon case closure with no interruption in coverage and without
a new application being required, as specified.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Minor costs to counties to include the required information.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, this bill "will clarify that
child welfare and probation workers must ensure the youth have
their Medi-Cal benefit cards and other information regarding
their eligibility for Medi-Cal until age 26. Child welfare
workers must also verify that the young person has been
transitioned into the Medi-Cal program for former foster youth
AB 1849
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with no interruption in coverage and no new application.
Youth aging out of foster care have disproportionately high
rates of physical and behavioral health issues. It is
essential that these youth have ongoing health coverage and
are given information about their automatic Medi-Cal
eligibility until age 26. Without access to health insurance
these young people are at serious risk of ongoing health
problems. The lack of conformity in existing law is a barrier
to a smooth transition to continuing coverage."
2)Background. The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act (ACA) allows young adults to be covered under their
parents' health insurance until age 26. If a youth was in
foster care on his or her 18th birthday and receiving
Medicaid, and later emancipates, he or she is required to
receive continued, uninterrupted health insurance coverage
through Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California), regardless
of income, and with no need to complete a new application.
This bill adopts conforming changes to CWS processes to ensure
that nonminors are provided continued, uninterrupted, Medi-Cal
coverage.
3)Prior Legislation. SB 508 (Hernandez), Chapter 831, Statutes
of 2014, adopted a number of changes to Medi-Cal eligibility
rules to codify existing eligibility levels or clarify changes
made to the program's eligibility requirements when the state
expanded eligibility under the federal Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act, including clarifying that former foster
youth are eligible for Medi-Cal coverage up to age 26 if he or
she was in foster care on his or her 18th birthday, as
specified.
AB 1849
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Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081