Ensuring Continuous Medicaid Coverage for Children Act of 2013

Ensuring Continuous Medicaid Coverage for Children Act of 2013 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to change from discretionary to mandatory the authority of state Medicaid plans to provide for 12-month continuous coverage of children.

Specifies situations wherein a state Medicaid plan's failure to meet this requirement shall not be regarded as a failure to comply with Medicaid requirements generally.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 173 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 173

   To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require 12-month 
            continuous coverage for children under Medicaid.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2013

   Mr. Gene Green of Texas introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require 12-month 
            continuous coverage for children under Medicaid.

    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 ``Ensuring Continuous Medicaid 
Coverage for Children Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT OF 12-MONTH CONTINUOUS COVERAGE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 
              MEDICAID.

    (a) In General.--Section 1902 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396a) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph 
                (74);
                    (B) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph 
                (82);
                    (C) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
                (83) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (83) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(84) meet the requirement of subsection (e)(12).''; and
            (2) in subsection (e)(12), by striking ``At the option of a 
        State, the plan may'' and inserting ``The State plan under this 
        title shall''.
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided under paragraph (2), 
        the amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on 
        October 1, 2013, and shall apply to individuals who were 
        determined eligible for medical assistance before, on, or after 
        such date.
            (2) Special rule for state legislation.--In the case of a 
        State plan for medical assistance under title XIX of the Social 
        Security Act which the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        determines requires State legislation (other than legislation 
        appropriating funds) in order for the plan to meet the 
        additional requirement imposed by the amendment made by this 
        section, the State plan shall not be regarded as failing to 
        comply with the requirements of such title solely on the basis 
        of its failure to meet that additional requirement before the 
        later of the following dates:
                    (A) The first day of the first calendar quarter 
                beginning after the close of the first regular session 
                of the State legislature that begins after the date of 
                the enactment of this Act.
                    (B) October 1, 2013.
        For purposes of subparagraph (A), in the case of a State that 
        has a 2-year legislative session, each year of such session 
        shall be deemed to be a separate regular session of the State 
        legislature.
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