BILL NUMBER: AB 2415	CHAPTERED  09/30/00

	CHAPTER   944
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 30, 2000
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   SEPTEMBER 29, 2000
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 29, 2000
	PASSED THE SENATE   AUGUST 28, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 25, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 7, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   JULY 3, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 31, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 26, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 24, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Migden
   (Principal coauthor:  Assembly Member Gallegos)

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2000

   An act to amend Section 12693.76 of the Insurance Code, relating
to health care.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2415, Migden.  Health care:  Healthy Families Program:
Medi-Cal:  eligibility.
   Existing law prohibits denying a child eligibility for the Healthy
Families Program who is a qualified alien, as defined in federal
law, who is otherwise eligible for participation in the program.
Existing law does not require federal participation for qualified
aliens in the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 budget years, but does for
participation in subsequent fiscal years.
   This bill would delete the requirement that eligibility for
qualified aliens is dependent on federal participation.
   Existing law continuously appropriates money from the Healthy
Families Fund for purposes of implementation of the Healthy Families
Program.
   This bill would limit implementation to the extent provided in the
annual Budget Act.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) California suffers from a crisis involving lack of health
insurance, with the highest rate of uninsured residents of any state
in the nation.
   (b) Of California's 7,300,000 nonelderly uninsured residents,
approximately 830,000 are low-income children and 400,000 are
low-income working parents who are not on public assistance and who
are eligible for, but not enrolled in, the Medi-Cal program. An
additional 642,000 California children are eligible for health
coverage under the Healthy Families Program, but are not enrolled in
this program.
   (c) Studies show that the health of children and their parents is
significantly compromised without the access to care that health
insurance provides.  Poor health hearing, or vision seriously
undermines children's performance in school.
   (d) The state can save money on expensive emergency room care as
well as on welfare costs when low-income people have health
insurance, which promotes the ability to work and be productive.
   (e) Families value the benefits of the Medi-Cal program, but are
deterred from applying because of burdensome paperwork requirements,
as shown by recent studies involving California families.  California'
s paperwork requirements exceed those imposed by federal Medicaid
rules and are a significant barrier to eligible persons.
Simplification of these requirements would improve access to needed
health insurance.
   (f) Because of changes enacted in the 1996 federal welfare reform
law, the federal Medicaid program has become an important program to
address the health care needs of California's working poor families
with children.  Improving access to Medi-Cal for families that are
eligible for but not enrolled in this program can help significantly
in providing health care for the state's uninsured residents.
  SEC. 2.  Section 12693.76 of the Insurance Code, as amended by
Chapter 93 of the Statutes of 2000, is amended to read:
   12693.76.  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a child
who is a qualified alien as defined in Section 1641 of Title 8 of
the United States Code Annotated shall not be determined ineligible
solely on the basis of his or her date of entry into the United
States.
   (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, subdivision (a)
may only be implemented to the extent provided in the annual Budget
Act.