(a) Medi-Cal benefits under this chapter shall be provided to individuals eligible for services under Section 1396u-1 of Title 42 of the United States Code with family incomes that do not exceed 109 percent of the federal poverty level.
(b) (1) Except as provided for in paragraph (3), when determining eligibility under this section, an applicant’s or beneficiary’s income and resources shall be determined, counted, and valued in accordance with the requirements of Section 1396a(e)(14) of Title 42 of the United States Code, as added by the ACA.
(2) When determining eligibility under this section, an applicant’s or beneficiary’s assets shall not be considered and deprivation shall not be a requirement for eligibility.
(3) The department shall seek federal approval to use the determination of eligibility for the CalWORKs program as a determination of eligibility for Medi-Cal benefits under this section. The department’s use of the CalWORKs eligibility determination to determine eligibility for Medi-Cal benefits under this section shall be consistent, and in conformity, with the terms of the federal approval.
(c) For purposes of calculating income under this section during any calendar year, increases in social security benefit payments under Title II of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 401 et seq.) arising from cost-of-living adjustments shall be disregarded commencing in the month that these social security benefit payments are increased by the cost-of-living adjustment through the month before the month in which a change in the federal poverty level requires the department to modify the income disregard and in which new income limits for the program established by this section are adopted by the department.
(d) The MAGI-based income eligibility standard applied under this section shall conform with the maintenance of effort requirements of Sections 1396a(e)(14) and 1396a(gg) of Title 42 of the United States Code, as added by the ACA.
(e) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) “ACA” means the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as originally enacted and as amended by the federal Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152) and any subsequent amendments.
(2) “MAGI-based income” means income calculated using the financial methodologies described in Section 1396a(e)(14) of Title 42 of the United States Code, as added by the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) and as amended by the federal Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152) and any subsequent amendments.
(f) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of all-county letters, plan letters, plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions until the time any necessary regulations are adopted. The department shall adopt regulations by July 1, 2018, in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. Commencing six months after the effective date of this section, and notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the department shall provide a status report to the Legislature on a semiannual basis, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, until regulations have been adopted.
(g) This section shall be implemented only if and to the extent that federal financial participation is available and any necessary federal approvals have been obtained.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 52, Sec. 21. (SB 97) Effective July 10, 2017.)