(a) (1) The Healthy Families-to-Medi-Cal Bridge Benefits Program is hereby established to provide any person enrolled for coverage under this part who meets the criteria set forth in subdivision (b) with a two calendar-month period of health care benefits in order to provide the person with an opportunity to apply for Medi-Cal.
(2) The Healthy Families-to-Medi-Cal Bridge Benefits Program shall be administered by the board.
(b) (1) Any person who meets all of the following requirements shall be eligible for two additional calendar months of Healthy Families benefits:
(A) He or she has been receiving, but is no longer eligible for, benefits under the program.
(B) He or she appears to be income eligible for full-scope Medi-Cal benefits without a share of cost.
(2) The two additional calendar months of benefits under this chapter shall begin on the first day of the month following the last day of the person’s eligibility for benefits under the program.
(c) The two-calendar-month period of Healthy Families benefits provided under this chapter shall be identical to the scope of benefits that the person was receiving under the program.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to provide Healthy Families benefits for more than a two calendar-month period under any circumstances, including the failure to apply for benefits under the Medi-Cal program or the failure to be made aware of the availability of the Medi-Cal program unless the circumstances described in subdivision (b) reoccur.
(e) This section shall become inoperative if an unappealable court decision or judgment determines that any of the following apply:
(1) The provisions of this section are unconstitutional under the United States Constitution or the California Constitution.
(2) The provisions of this section do not comply with the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, as set forth in Title XXI of the federal Social Security Act.
(3) The provisions of this section require that the health care benefits provided pursuant to this section are required to be furnished for more than two calendar months.
(f) The board shall cease to provide the benefits described in this section to any additional individuals on the date that the State Department of Health Care Services implements the presumptive eligibility program established pursuant to Section 14011.65b of the Welfare and Institutions Code and the Director of Health Care Services executes a declaration pursuant to subdivision (d) of that section stating that the program of presumptive eligibility has commenced. The board shall consult and coordinate with the State Department of Health Care Services in implementing presumptive eligibility under Section 14011.65b of the Welfare and Institutions Code for these individuals.
(g) This section shall be repealed six months after the board ceases to provide benefits to additional individuals pursuant to this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 188, Sec. 20. Effective August 24, 2007. Repealed as of date prescribed by its own provisions.)