The bill aligns the medicaid and children's basic health plan
income eligibility requirements for pregnant women and children with federal law.
Current law requires money in the healthcare affordability and
sustainability fee cash fund (fund) to be used to expand eligibility for medicaid by increasing the income eligibility level for children and
pregnant women under the children's basic health plan to up to 250% of the federal poverty line. The bill increases the eligibility level to up to 260%. Under current law, if the money in the fund is insufficient to fully fund all the purposes of the fund, the medical services board (state board) may reduce the percentage of the federal poverty level. The bill authorizes the state board to reduce the percentage of the federal poverty level to below 260%, but not below 250%.
The bill increases the medicaid income eligibility level for
pregnant women from 133% of the federal poverty level to a federally approved specified percentage of the federal poverty level, adjusted for family size, as set forth in rules promulgated by the state board.
The bill increases the income eligibility level under the children's
basic health plan for children and pregnant woman from 250% of the federal poverty level to a federally approved specified percentage of the federal poverty level, adjusted for family size, as set forth in state board rule.
