BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                AB 1580
                                                                Page  1

        CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
        AB 1580 (Bonilla)
        As Amended August 9, 2012
        Majority vote
         
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        |ASSEMBLY:  |47-24|(April 23,      |SENATE: |23-14|(August 20,    |
        |           |     |2012)           |        |     |2012)          |
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         Original Committee Reference:    HEALTH  

         SUMMARY  :  Makes technical and clarifying changes to provisions 
        enacted in AB 1296 (Bonilla), Chapter 641, Statutes of 2011, 
        relating to simplified applications for state health programs. 

         The Senate amendments  make technical and clarifying amendments.

         EXISTING LAW  :  

        1)Establishes the federal Medicaid Program, Medi-Cal in California, 
          administered by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), to 
          provide comprehensive health care services and long-term care to 
          pregnant women, children, and people who are aged, blind, and 
          disabled.

        2)Requires, under federal law, each state, by January 1, 2014, to 
          establish an American Health Benefit Exchange that makes qualified 
          health plans available to qualified individuals and qualified 
          employers. 

        3)Requires, under federal law, by January 2014, that states offer 
          Medicaid coverage to all adults, under age 65, with income up to 
          133% of the federal poverty level using a Modified Adjusted Gross 
          Income calculation. 

        4)Requires, under federal law, by January 2014, that state 
          enrollment systems for persons eligible for health subsidy 
          programs utilize a single streamlined application for specified 
          public subsidy programs.  

         AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill was substantially similar to 
        the version passed by the Senate.

         FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, 








                                                                AB 1580
                                                                Page  2

        pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.

         COMMENTS  :  According to the sponsor, Western Center on Law and 
        Poverty, this bill is needed to fulfill the terms of an agreement 
        made with DHCS to clarify AB 1296.  This agreement is memorialized 
        in a letter dated September 21, 2011 and is codified in this bill.  
        Specifically, a provision describing individuals who may be 
        potentially eligible for Medi-Cal is limited to "those who may be 
        eligible as aged, blind or disabled."  Secondly, clarification was 
        requested to state that AB 1296 was not intended to grant 
        presumptive eligibility to any new categories.  
         

        Analysis Prepared by  :    Marjorie Swartz / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097 
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