Summary of the Perfected Version of the Bill

HS HB 612 -- COMMUNITY FIRST ACT (Ladd Baker)

This substitute affects programs for the needy and disabled.

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS

The substitute establishes eligibility requirements for needy
persons to receive medical assistance, as derived from the
federal Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of
1999 (TWWIIA).  A person who is employed is eligible to receive
medical assistance when he or she:

(1)  Meets the definition of the term "disabled" under the
Supplemental Security Income Program or meets the definition of
"employed individual with a medically improved disability" under
TWWIIA;

(2)  Meets the asset limits specified in the substitute; and

(3)  Has an annual income of 250% or less of the federal poverty
guidelines.

Individuals with incomes greater than 150% of the federal
poverty guidelines will pay a premium for participation.  A
person otherwise eligible for medical assistance under the
substitute will not lose eligibility if he or she maintains an
independent living development account.  If an eligible
individual's employer offers employer-sponsored health insurance
and the Department of Social Services determines that it is more
cost-effective than medical assistance, the individual will
participate in the employer-sponsored insurance.  The department
will pay the individual's portion of the premiums, co-payments,
and other associated costs.  If the department elects to pay the
employer-sponsored insurance, medical assistance will be
provided to an eligible person as a secondary or supplemental
policy.  The department will submit appropriate documentation to
the federal government for approval and will apply for all
grants available to offset the costs associated with the
substitute's provisions.

ELIGIBILITY LIMITS FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

The substitute revises the eligibility requirements for medical
assistance benefits.  It allows the department to use
less-restrictive income methodologies to raise the eligibility
limit for certain individuals to 100% of the federal poverty
level.

COMMUNITY FIRST COMMISSION

The substitute establishes the Community First Commission, whose
duties include helping state agencies accomplish recommended
objectives of the Temporary Home and Community-based Services
and Consumer-directed Care Commission of 2000; assessing how
institutionalized persons with disabilities move into
community-based settings and evaluating the success of these
settings in keeping persons with disabilities out of
institutions; and developing recommendations for legislative and
administrative action.  The commission will have 24 members and
will meet at least twice a year.  The commission will report by
January 31 of each year to the Governor and General Assembly on
the state's compliance with a recent U. S. Supreme Court
decision (Olmstead v. L.C.) that prohibits requiring a person to
be institutionalized in order to receive services and will
recommend statutory and regulatory changes.  A one-time
transition grant of up to $1,500 for institutionalized persons
who want to move back into the community will be administered by
the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in consultation with
the Department of Social Services.  The division and the
department will also cooperate to seek federal and private grant
moneys for this purpose; the moneys will not limit the
appropriation of state moneys for the grant.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Net Cost to General Revenue Fund of
$6,427,918 in FY 2002, $11,273,312 in FY 2003, and $12,772,981
in FY 2004.


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Last Updated November 26, 2001 at 11:45 am