(a) The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
(1) Under federal law, minors living at home with their families may not be eligible for the SSI and Medicaid programs.
(2) Under the Federal Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, however, states may apply for a Section 1915(c) waiver to allow a person to be eligible for SSI and Medicaid when medical and social services provided in the home can be shown to be less costly than services provided in an institution.
(3) Whenever possible, medical and social services should be provided in the least restrictive setting and at the lowest cost to the programs involved.
(4) The State Department of Health Services has already successfully applied for the Section 1915(c) waiver as applied to certain defined populations of developmentally disabled, elderly, and medically acute clients.
(b) The State Director of Health Services shall apply for additional waivers when appropriate to expand the number and types of persons who will be eligible for in-home services.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 193, Sec. 237. Effective January 1, 2005.)