LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 114, as amended, Liu. Medi-Cal: independent foster care
adolescents.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and
under which qualified low-income persons receive health care
benefits. Existing law requires the department, if, and to the extent
that, all necessary federal approvals are obtained for federal
financial participation, to implement a federal option to extend
Medi-Cal benefits to independent foster care adolescents, as defined
in federal law.
This bill would specify that, if the department has exercised this
option, commencing April 1, 2010, specified independent foster care
adolescents would be deemed eligible for the benefits and would be
automatically enrolled without requiring a new application and
without an interruption in coverage.
This bill would require the department to develop and implement a
simplified form for the annual redetermination of benefits. An
independent foster care adolescent would only be required to fill out
and return the form if previously provided information was no longer
accurate.
This bill would specify that the bill would be implemented only
if, and to the extent that, federal financial participation is
available and any necessary federal approvals are obtained.
This bill would also prescribe a process for terminating the
eligibility of an independent foster care adolescent.