(a) Aliens shall be eligible for Medi-Cal, whether federally funded or state-funded, only to the same extent as permitted under federal law and regulations for receipt of federal financial participation under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act, except as otherwise provided in this section and elsewhere in this chapter.
(b) In accordance with Section 1903(v)(1) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396b(v)(1)), an alien shall only be eligible for the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits, if the alien has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or is otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law.
For purposes of this section, aliens “permanently residing in the United States under color of law” shall be interpreted to include all aliens residing in the United States with the knowledge and permission of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service and whose departure the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service does not contemplate enforcing and with respect to whom federal financial participation is available under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act.
(c) Any alien whose immigration status has been adjusted either to lawful temporary resident or lawful permanent resident in accordance with the provisions of Section 210, 210A, or 245A of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, and who meets all other eligibility requirements, shall be eligible only for care and services under Medi-Cal for which the alien is not disqualified pursuant to those sections of the federal act.
(d) Any alien who is otherwise eligible for Medi-Cal services, but who does not meet the requirements under subdivision (b) or (c), shall only be eligible for care and services that are necessary for the treatment of an emergency medical condition and medical care directly related to the emergency, as defined in federal law. For purposes of this section, the term “emergency medical condition” means a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity, including severe pain, such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in any of the following:
(1) Placing the patient’s health in serious jeopardy.
(2) Serious impairment to bodily functions.
(3) Serious dysfunction to any bodily organ or part. It is the intent of this section to entitle eligible individuals to inpatient and outpatient services that are necessary for the treatment of the emergency medical condition in the same manner as administered by the department through regulations and provisions of federal law.
(e) Pursuant to Section 14001.2, each county department shall require that each applicant for, or beneficiary of, Medi-Cal, including a child, shall provide his or her social security number account number, or numbers, if he or she has more than one social security number.
(f) (1) In order to be eligible for benefits under subdivision (b) or (c), an alien applicant or beneficiary shall present alien registration documentation or other proof of satisfactory immigration status from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.
(2) Any alien who meets all other program requirements but who lacks documentation of alien registration or other proof of satisfactory immigration status shall be provided a reasonable opportunity to submit the evidence. For purposes of this paragraph, “reasonable opportunity” means 30 days or the time it actually takes the county to process the Medi-Cal application, whichever is longer.
(3) During the reasonable opportunity period under paragraph (2), the county department shall process the applicant’s application for medical assistance in a manner that conforms to its normal processing procedures and timeframes.
(g) (1) The county department shall grant only the Medi-Cal benefits set forth in subdivision (d) of this section or in Section 14007.7 to any individual who, after 30 calendar days or the time it actually takes the county to process the Medi-Cal application, whichever is longer, has failed to submit documents constituting reasonable evidence indicating a satisfactory immigration status for Medi-Cal purposes, or who is reported by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service to lack a satisfactory immigration status for Medi-Cal purposes.
(2) If an alien has been receiving Medi-Cal benefits based on eligibility established prior to the effective date of this section and that individual, upon redetermination of eligibility for benefits, fails to submit documents constituting reasonable evidence indicating a satisfactory immigration status for Medi-Cal purposes, the county department shall discontinue the Medi-Cal benefits, except for the care and services set forth in subdivision (d) of this section or in Section 14007.7. The county department shall provide adequate notice to the individual of any adverse action and shall accord the individual an opportunity for a fair hearing if he or she requests one.
(h) To the extent permitted by federal law and regulations, an alien applying for services under subdivisions (b) and (c) shall be granted eligibility for the scope of services to which he or she would otherwise be entitled if, at the time the county department makes the determination about his or her eligibility, the alien meets either of the following requirements:
(1) He or she has not had a reasonable opportunity to submit documents constituting reasonable evidence indicating satisfactory immigration status.
(2) He or she has provided documents constituting reasonable evidence indicating a satisfactory immigration status, but the county department has not received timely verification of the alien’s immigration status from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.
(3) The verification process shall protect the privacy of all participants. An alien’s immigration status shall be subject to verification by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, to the extent required for receipt of federal financial participation in the Medi-Cal program.
(i) If an alien does not declare status as a lawful permanent resident or alien permanently residing under color of law, or as an alien legalized under Section 210, 210A, or 245A of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act (Public Law 82-414), Medi-Cal coverage under subdivision (d) of this section or in Section 14007.7 shall be provided to the individual if he or she is otherwise eligible.
(j) If an alien subject to this section is not fluent in English, the county department shall provide an understandable explanation of the requirements of this section in a language in which the alien is fluent.
(k) Aliens who were receiving long-term care or renal dialysis services (1) on the day prior to the effective date of the amendment to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 1 of Chapter 1441 of the Statutes of 1988 at the 1991–92 Regular Session of the Legislature and (2) under the authority of paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 1 of Chapter 1441 of the Statutes of 1988 as it read on June 30, 1992, shall continue to receive these services. The authority for continuation of long-term care or renal dialysis services in this subdivision shall not apply to any person whose long-term care or renal dialysis services end for any reason after the effective date of the amendment described in this subdivision.
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 18, Sec. 34. (SB 75) Effective June 24, 2015.)