At-Risk Youth Medicaid Protection Act of 2017

To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to protect the enrollment of incarcerated youth for medical assistance under the Medicaid program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the At-Risk Youth Medicaid Protection Act of 2017 2. At-risk youth Medicaid protection (a) In general Section 1902 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396a (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking and (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (83) and inserting ; and (C) by inserting after paragraph (83) the following new paragraph: (84) provide that— (A) the State shall not terminate enrollment under a State plan for medical assistance for an individual who is an eligible juvenile (as defined in subsection (ll)(2)) because the juvenile is an inmate of a public institution (as defined in subsection (ll)(3)), but may suspend such enrollment during the period that the juvenile is such an inmate; (B) the State shall restore enrollment for such medical assistance to such an individual upon the individual’s release from any such public institution without requiring the individual to make a new application for medical assistance or take any other action, and shall take all necessary steps to ensure the enrollment is effective immediately upon release from such institution, unless (and until such date as) there is a determination that the individual no longer meets the eligibility requirements for such medical assistance; and (C) the State shall process any application for medical assistance submitted by, or on behalf of, a juvenile who is an inmate of a public institution notwithstanding that the juvenile is such an inmate. ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (ll) Juvenile; eligible juvenile; public institution For purposes of subsection (a)(84) and this subsection: (1) Juvenile The term juvenile (A) under 21 years of age; or (B) is described in subsection (a)(10)(A)(i)(IX). (2) Eligible juvenile The term eligible juvenile (3) Inmate of a public institution The term inmate of a public institution . (b) No change in exclusion from medical assistance for inmates of public institutions Nothing in this section shall be construed as changing the exclusion from medical assistance under the subdivision (A) following paragraph (29) of section 1905(a) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396d(a) (c) Effective date (1) In general Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to eligibility and enrollment of juveniles who become inmates of public institutions on or after the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Rule for changes requiring 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 requirements imposed by the amendments made by subsection (a), 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 these additional requirements before 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. For purposes of the previous sentence, 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.

Summary: At-Risk Youth Medicaid Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to specify that a state Medicaid program may not terminate a juvenile's medical assistance enrollment because the juvenile is incarcerated. A state may suspend enrollment while the juvenile is an inmate, but must restore enrollment upon release without requiring a new application or any other action unless the individual no longer meets the eligibility requirements for medical assistance. A state must process an application submitted by, or on behalf of, an incarcerated juvenile, notwithstanding that the juvenile is an inmate. A "juvenile" is an individual who: (1) is under 21 years of age; or (2) has aged out of the state's foster care system, was enrolled in the state plan while in foster care, and is under 26 years of age.