Expanded Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act
This bill modifies certain changes that are scheduled to take effect under the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act relating to the coverage of former foster youth under Medicaid.
Under current law, a state Medicaid program must cover former foster youth until the age of 26 if the youth were in the state's foster care system at the age of 18 and were enrolled in the state's Medicaid program while in foster care; a state may choose to also cover former foster youth from other states. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act altered these provisions to require a state Medicaid program to cover former foster youth from other states until the age of 26; such changes apply to former foster youth who reach the age of 18 on or after January 1, 2023.
The bill requires state Medicaid programs to also cover former foster youth who were placed in a legal guardianship with a kinship caregiver or were emancipated from foster care before the age of 18. The bill also repeals the provision that requires former foster youth to have been enrolled in a state Medicaid program while in foster care in order to qualify for Medicaid coverage until the age of 26. States must also establish Medicaid outreach and enrollment programs for former foster youth.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1795 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1795
To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure health
insurance coverage continuity for former foster youth.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 11, 2021
Ms. Bass 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 ensure health
insurance coverage continuity for former foster youth.
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 ``Expanded Coverage for Former Foster
Youth Act''.
SEC. 2. COVERAGE CONTINUITY FOR FORMER FOSTER CARE CHILDREN UP TO AGE
26.
(a) In General.--Section 1902(a)(10)(A)(i)(IX) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(10)(A)(i)(IX)) is amended to read as
follows:
``(IX) who--
``(aa) are under 26 years
of age;
``(bb) are not described in
and are not enrolled under any
of subclauses (I) through (VII)
of this clause or are described
in any of such subclauses but
have income that exceeds the
level of income applicable
under the State plan for
eligibility to enroll for
medical assistance under such
subclause; and
``(cc) were in foster care
under the responsibility of a
State on the date of attaining
18 years of age (or such higher
age as such State has elected
under section 475(8)(B)(iii)),
or were in such care at any age
but subsequently left such care
to enter into a legal
guardianship with a kinship
caregiver (without regard to
whether kinship guardianship
payments are being made on
behalf of the child under this
part), or were emancipated from
such care prior to attaining
age 18;''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
take effect on January 1, 2023, and shall apply with respect to
individuals who attain 18 years of age on or after that date.
(c) Repeal.--Subsection (a) of section 1002 of the SUPPORT for
Patients and Communities Act (Public Law 115-271) is repealed.
SEC. 3. OUTREACH EFFORTS FOR ENROLLMENT OF FORMER FOSTER CHILDREN.
Section 1902(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (85), by striking ``; and'' and inserting
a semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (86), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (86) the following new
paragraph:
``(87) not later than January 1, 2022, establish an
outreach and enrollment program, in coordination with the State
agency responsible for administering the State plan under part
E of title IV and any other appropriate or interested agencies,
designed to increase the enrollment of individuals who are
eligible for medical assistance under the State plan under
paragraph (10)(A)(i)(IX) in accordance with best practices
established by the Secretary.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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