Bill Summary
The Affordable Health Care for Children with Disabilities Act is a bill that aims to amend the Social Security Act in order to encourage states to disregard parental income and assets when determining Medicaid eligibility for disabled children. This means that, if a state chooses to make medical assistance available to all disabled children, the federal government will cover 90% of the costs. This applies to children who would be eligible for the Supplemental Security Income program, but are not able to receive benefits due to income or resource limitations. The bill also requires states to disregard the income and resources of the parents or guardians when determining the child's eligibility. This will ensure that disabled children have access to necessary medical care without being put on waiting lists or facing numerical limitations. Additionally, this bill would exclude any funds received by a territory as a result of this amendment from being counted towards their overall limit of federal funds.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation could potentially provide much-needed healthcare coverage for disabled children and relieve financial burdens on their families.
2. The increased Federal medical assistance percentage available under this Act may encourage more states to participate in the Medicaid program and provide coverage for disabled children.
3. By disregarding parental income and assets, this Act may help reduce financial stress and allow families to focus on caring for their disabled children.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2067 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2067
To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to encourage States to
disregard parental income and assets when determining Medicaid
eligibility for disabled children.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 10, 2019
Mr. Casey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to encourage States to
disregard parental income and assets when determining Medicaid
eligibility for disabled children.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Affordable Health Care for Children
with Disabilities Act''.
SEC. 2. ENCOURAGING STATES TO DISREGARD PARENTAL INCOME AND ASSETS WHEN
DETERMINING MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR DISABLED CHILDREN.
(a) In General.--Section 1905 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1396d) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ``and (aa)'' and
inserting ``(aa), and (ff)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(ff) Increased FMAP for Medical Assistance for Certain Disabled
Children.--
``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (b), if a
State elects to make medical assistance available to all
individuals described in paragraph (2), the Federal medical
assistance percentage for the State with respect to amounts
expended by such State for medical assistance furnished to such
individuals on or after January 1, 2020, shall be equal to 90
percent.
``(2) Individuals described.--An individual described in
this paragraph is an individual who--
``(A) is 18 years of age or younger;
``(B) who would be eligible for benefits under the
supplemental security income program under title XVI on
the basis of being blind (as determined under section
1614(a)(2)) or disabled (as determined under section
1614(a)(3)(C)) but for the fact that the individual's
income or resources do not meet the requirements of
such program;
``(C) whose income (as determined under section
1612, except as provided in paragraph (3)) does not
exceed an income level established by the State
consistent with section 1902(m)(2)(A); and
``(D) whose resources (as determined under section
1613, except as provided in paragraph (3)) do not
exceed the maximum amount of resources that an
individual may have and obtain benefits under that
program.
``(3) Income and resource eligibility determination
methodology.--In determining whether an individual's income or
resources do not exceed the income level established by the
State under subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) or the maximum
amount of resources described in subparagraph (D) of such
paragraph, the State shall disregard the income and resources
of any parent or guardian of the individual and shall treat the
individual as a family of one.
``(4) No waiting lists.--The increased Federal medical
assistance percentage available under paragraph (1) shall not
apply to a State if the State limits the acceptance of
applications from individuals described in paragraph (2) or
imposes any numerical limitation, waiting list, or similar
limitation on the eligibility of such individuals for medical
assistance.''.
(b) Disregard of Limits on Payments to Territories.--Section
1108(g)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(g)(4)) is
amended--
(1) by striking ``With respect to fiscal years beginning
with fiscal year 2009,'' and inserting the following:
``(A) In general.--With respect to fiscal years
beginning with fiscal year 2009,''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Other expenditures.--The amounts received by
a commonwealth or territory for a calendar quarter of a
fiscal year that are attributable to the application of
section 1905(ff) shall not be taken into account in
applying subsection (f) (as increased in accordance
with paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (5) of this
subsection) to such commonwealth or territory for such
fiscal year.''.
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