BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 1849 (Gipson) - Foster youth: transition to independent living: health insurance coverage ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: June 16, 2016 |Policy Vote: HUMAN S. 4 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: Yes | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 1, 2016 |Consultant: Debra Cooper | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: AB 1849 would require that written verification or enrollment in Medi-Cal and a Medi-Cal benefits card be provided to foster youth who have eligible enrollment in Medi-Cal who are preparing to transition out of foster care, and that the eligibility is continuous and uninterrupted up to 26 years of age. It additionally requires, in a youth's or nonminor's 90-day transition plan, a description of the steps taken to ensure that an eligible youth or nonminor is transitioned into the Medi-Cal program for former foster youth. Fiscal Impact: Potential ongoing local-assistance cost of $36,158 ($28,959 GF)* per year to the extent that an additional 15 minutes of social worker time is needed per case to provide the required documentation for enrollment in Medi-Cal for youth who are leaving foster care and for verification of the social AB 1849 (Gipson) Page 1 of ? worker's steps in the youth's transition plan. *Proposition 30 (November 2012) eliminated any potential mandate funding liability for any new program or higher level of service mandated on local agencies related to realigned programs, including child welfare services and foster care. Rather, legislation enacted after September 30, 2012, that has an overall effect of increasing the costs already borne by a local agency for programs or levels of service mandated by realignment only apply to local agencies to the extent that the state provides annual funding for the cost increase. Local agencies are not obligated to provide programs or levels of service required by legislation above the level for which funding has been provided. Background: Under the Affordable Care Act, former foster youth who have aged out of the foster care system at age 18 are entitled to Medi-Cal coverage until age 26. This gives former foster youth the same opportunity to access health care as young adults who are able to remain covered by their parents' health insurance until age 26. Existing law requires that youth who exit foster care on their 18th birthday who are eligible for enrollment in Medi-Cal be automatically transferred into the Medi-Cal program for former foster youth and remain continuously covered until age 26. Welfare and Institutes Code sections 391 and 16501.1 still contain instructions for social workers to provide assistance in completing a Medi-Cal application for youth transitioning out of foster care even though youth transitioning out of foster care are no longer required to apply for Medi-Cal coverage when exiting foster care. According to the California Department of Social Services (DSS), approximately 2,086 youth exited foster care in calendar year 2015. Proposed Law: This bill makes changes to the Welfare and Institutions Code to conform to existing law that requires eligible youth exiting foster care to be automatically enrolled in the Medi-Cal program AB 1849 (Gipson) Page 2 of ? for former foster youth. Specific provisions of the bill would: Require the county to provide written verification that the eligible nonminor is enrolled in Medi-Cal and provide the nonminor's Medi-Cal Benefits Card. Delete the requirement that prior to a court terminating dependency jurisdiction, the county provide assistance in completing an application for Medi-Cal or assistance in obtaining other health insurance. Prohibit the juvenile court from terminating dependency over a nonminor unless, among other documents, the county can verify continued and uninterrupted enrollment in Medi-Cal, as established in statute. Related Legislation: SB 508 (Hernandez, Chapter 831, Statues of 2014) requires the Department of Health Care Services to implement federal provisions to provide Medi-Cal benefits to a former foster youth until his or her 26th birthday if he or she was enrolled in foster care on his or her 18th birthday. -- END --