Menu
2016 Session

Budget Amendments - HB30 (Conference Report)

View Budget Item
View Budget Item amendments

Improve Medicaid Eligibility Policy and Procedures (language only)

Item 310 #2c

Item 310 #2c

Health and Human Resources
Department of Medical Assistance Services

Language

Page 276, after line 54, insert:

"K.1. The Department of Medical Assistance Services shall require eligibility workers to verify income, using currently available Virginia Employment Commission data, for applicants and recipients who report no earned or unearned income.  The Department shall,  at the earliest date feasible but no later than October 1, 2017, require all Medicaid eligibility workers to apply the same protocols when verifying income for all applicants and recipients, including those who report no earned or unearned income.

2. The Department shall amend the Virginia Medicaid application, upon approval of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, to require a Medicaid applicant to opt out if such applicant does not want to grant permission to the state to use his federal tax returns for the purposes of renewing eligibility.  The Department shall implement the necessary regulatory changes and other necessary measures to be consistent with federal approval of any appropriate state plan changes, and prior to the completion of any regulatory process undertaken in order to effect such change."



Explanation

(This amendment adds language to require the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to implement provisions to improve the current Medicaid eligibility policy and procedures based on a recent Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report on Medicaid eligibility determination. The department must require all Medicaid eligibility workers to apply the same protocols when verifying income for all applicants and recipients, including those who report no earned or unearned income, by October 1, 2017. A companion amendment in Item 350 provides one-time funding to cover the costs of the change to the eligibility system.)