House Bill 1633

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1633

        By the Committee on Children & Families and Representative
    Murman





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Medicaid eligibility

  3         determinations; amending ss. 409.901, 409.902,

  4         409.903, and 409.919, F.S.; clarifying

  5         responsibilities and restoring rulemaking

  6         authority of the Department of Children and

  7         Family Services with respect to Medicaid

  8         eligibility determinations; providing an

  9         effective date.

10

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

12

13         Section 1.  Subsections (3), (15), and (18) of section

14  409.901, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

15         409.901  Definitions.--As used in ss. 409.901-409.920,

16  except as otherwise specifically provided, the term:

17         (3)  "Applicant" means an individual whose written

18  application for medical assistance provided by Medicaid under

19  ss. 409.903-409.906 has been submitted to the Department of

20  Children and Family Services, or to the Social Security

21  Administration if the application is for supplemental security

22  income agency, but has not received final action.  This term

23  includes an individual, who need not be alive at the time of

24  application, whose application is submitted through a

25  representative or a person acting for the individual.

26         (15)  "Medicaid program" means the program authorized

27  under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act which

28  provides for payments for medical items or services, or both,

29  on behalf of any person who is determined by the Department of

30  Children and Family Services, or for supplemental security

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  1  income by the Social Security Administration, to be eligible

  2  on the date of service for Medicaid assistance.

  3         (18)  "Medicaid recipient" or "recipient" means an

  4  individual who whom the Department of Children and Family

  5  Services, or for supplemental security income the Social

  6  Security Administration, determines is eligible, pursuant to

  7  federal and state law, to receive medical assistance and

  8  related services for which the agency may make payments under

  9  the Medicaid program. For the purposes of determining

10  third-party liability, the term includes an individual

11  formerly determined to be eligible for Medicaid, an individual

12  who has received medical assistance under the Medicaid

13  program, or an individual on whose behalf Medicaid has become

14  obligated.

15         Section 2.  Section 409.902, Florida Statutes, is

16  amended to read:

17         409.902  Designated single state agency; payment

18  requirements; program title.--The Agency for Health Care

19  Administration is designated as the single state agency

20  authorized to make payments for medical assistance and related

21  services under Title XIX of the Social Security Act.  These

22  payments shall be made, subject to any limitations or

23  directions provided for in the General Appropriations Act,

24  only for services included in the program, shall be made only

25  on behalf of eligible individuals, and shall be made only to

26  qualified providers in accordance with federal requirements

27  for Title XIX of the Social Security Act and the provisions of

28  state law.  This program of medical assistance is designated

29  the "Medicaid program." The Department of Children and Family

30  Services is responsible for Medicaid eligibility

31  determinations, including policy, rules, and the agreement

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  1  with the Social Security Administration for Medicaid

  2  eligibility determinations for supplemental security income

  3  recipients, as well as the actual determination of

  4  eligibility.

  5         Section 3.  Section 409.903, Florida Statutes, is

  6  amended to read:

  7         409.903  Mandatory payments for eligible persons.--The

  8  agency shall make payments for medical assistance and related

  9  services on behalf of the following persons who the Department

10  of Children and Family Services, or the Social Security

11  Administration by contract with the Department of Children and

12  Family Services, agency determines to be eligible, subject to

13  the income, assets, and categorical eligibility tests set

14  forth in federal and state law.  Payment on behalf of these

15  Medicaid eligible persons is subject to the availability of

16  moneys and any limitations established by the General

17  Appropriations Act or chapter 216.

18         (1)  Low-income families with children are eligible for

19  Medicaid provided they meet the following requirements:

20         (a)  The family includes a dependent child who is

21  living with a caretaker relative.

22         (b)  The family's income does not exceed the gross

23  income test limit.

24         (c)  The family's countable income and resources do not

25  exceed the applicable Aid to Families with Dependent Children

26  (AFDC) income and resource standards under the AFDC state plan

27  in effect in July 1996, except as amended in the Medicaid

28  state plan to conform as closely as possible to the

29  requirements of the WAGES Program as created in s. 414.015, to

30  the extent permitted by federal law.

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  1         (2)  A person who receives payments from, who is

  2  determined eligible for, or who was eligible for but lost cash

  3  benefits from the federal program known as the Supplemental

  4  Security Income program (SSI).  This category includes a

  5  low-income person age 65 or over and a low-income person under

  6  age 65 considered to be permanently and totally disabled.

  7         (3)  A child under age 21 living in a low-income,

  8  two-parent family, and a child under age 7 living with a

  9  nonrelative, if the income and assets of the family or child,

10  as applicable, do not exceed the resource limits under the

11  WAGES Program.

12         (4)  A child who is eligible under Title IV-E of the

13  Social Security Act for subsidized board payments, foster

14  care, or adoption subsidies, and a child for whom the state

15  has assumed temporary or permanent responsibility and who does

16  not qualify for Title IV-E assistance but is in foster care,

17  shelter or emergency shelter care, or subsidized adoption.

18         (5)  A pregnant woman for the duration of her pregnancy

19  and for the post partum period as defined in federal law and

20  rule, or a child under age 1, if either is living in a family

21  that has an income which is at or below 150 percent of the

22  most current federal poverty level, or, effective January 1,

23  1992, that has an income which is at or below 185 percent of

24  the most current federal poverty level.  Such a person is not

25  subject to an assets test. Further, a pregnant woman who

26  applies for eligibility for the Medicaid program through a

27  qualified Medicaid provider must be offered the opportunity,

28  subject to federal rules, to be made presumptively eligible

29  for the Medicaid program.

30         (6)  A child born after September 30, 1983, living in a

31  family that has an income which is at or below 100 percent of

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  1  the current federal poverty level, who has attained the age of

  2  6, but has not attained the age of 19.  In determining the

  3  eligibility of such a child, an assets test is not required.

  4         (7)  A child living in a family that has an income

  5  which is at or below 133 percent of the current federal

  6  poverty level, who has attained the age of 1, but has not

  7  attained the age of 6.  In determining the eligibility of such

  8  a child, an assets test is not required.

  9         (8)  A person who is age 65 or over or is determined by

10  the agency to be disabled, whose income is at or below 100

11  percent of the most current federal poverty level and whose

12  assets do not exceed limitations established by the agency.

13  However, the agency may only pay for premiums, coinsurance,

14  and deductibles, as required by federal law, unless additional

15  coverage is provided for any or all members of this group by

16  s. 409.904(1).

17         Section 4.  Section 409.919, Florida Statutes, is

18  amended to read:

19         409.919  Rules.--The agency shall adopt any rules

20  necessary to comply with or administer ss. 409.901-409.920 and

21  all rules necessary to comply with federal requirements. In

22  addition, the Department of Children and Family Services shall

23  adopt and accept transfer of any rules necessary to carry out

24  its responsibilities for receiving and processing Medicaid

25  applications and determining Medicaid eligibility, and for

26  assuring compliance with and administering ss. 409.901-409.906

27  as such sections relate to those responsibilities.

28         Section 5.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

29  law.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1633

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  2                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Clarifies responsibilities and restores rulemaking
  4    authority of the Department of Children and Family
      Services with respect to Medicaid eligibility
  5    determinations.

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