Expanded Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act

Expanded Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act

This bill modifies provisions relating to the coverage of former foster youths under Medicaid.

Under current law, a state Medicaid program must cover former foster youths until the age of 26 if the youths were in a state's foster care system at the age of 18 and were enrolled in a state's Medicaid program while in foster care. The bill requires state Medicaid programs to also cover former foster youths who were placed in a legal guardianship with a kinship caregiver or were emancipated from foster care before the age of 18. The bill repeals the provision that requires former foster youths 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.

The bill also requires states to establish Medicaid outreach and enrollment programs for former foster youths.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2077 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2077

    To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure health 
         insurance coverage continuity for former foster youth.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 12, 2025

 Mr. Welch (for himself, Ms. Alsobrooks, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lujan, Mr. 
  Wyden, and Ms. Rosen) introduced the following bill; which was read 
             twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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, 2026, and shall apply with respect to 
individuals who attain 18 years of age on or after that date.

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 (86), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
        a semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (87)(D), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (87)(D) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(88) not later than January 1, 2026, 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.''.
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