Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1686
       
       
        
       By Senator Smith
       
       
       
       
       
       17-00386B-25                                          20251686__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to medical coverage assistance program
    3         for working individuals with disabilities; providing a
    4         short title; creating s. 409.9141, F.S.; contingent
    5         upon federal approval, requiring the Agency for Health
    6         Care Administration to implement and administer a
    7         Medicaid buy-in program for specified individuals with
    8         disabilities under certain circumstances; requiring
    9         the agency to determine the income eligibility level
   10         for the program; specifying requirements for the
   11         program; requiring the agency to seek federal approval
   12         through a Medicaid waiver or state plan amendment by a
   13         specified date; requiring the agency to implement and
   14         administer the program upon receiving federal
   15         approval; providing an effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Economic Self
   20  Sufficiency for Working Individuals with Disabilities.”
   21         Section 2. Section 409.9141, Florida Statutes, is created
   22  to read:
   23         409.9141 Medicaid buy-in program for individuals with
   24  disabilities.—
   25         (1)(a) Contingent upon federal approval through a Medicaid
   26  waiver or state plan amendment, the agency shall implement and
   27  administer a Medicaid buy-in program, authorized under the
   28  Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, Pub.
   29  L. No. 106-170, and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Pub. L. No.
   30  105-33, for individuals with disabilities between 18 and 64
   31  years of age who work and whose incomes exceed the maximum
   32  income eligibility level for initial enrollment to obtain
   33  coverage for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. The
   34  agency shall determine the new income eligibility level for such
   35  individuals.
   36         (b) The Medicaid buy-in program under paragraph (a) must
   37  provide full Medicaid benefits to eligible individuals and limit
   38  any premium or cost sharing to a percentage of an individual’s
   39  income, as determined by the agency.
   40         (2) By October 1, 2025, the agency shall seek federal
   41  approval through a Medicaid waiver or state plan amendment as
   42  necessary to implement the Medicaid buy-in program under this
   43  section. The agency shall implement and administer the Medicaid
   44  buy-in program upon receiving federal approval.
   45         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.