Title: Medicaid Accountability Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Medicaid Accountability Act
This bill establishes and expands certain requirements relating to Medicaid asset verification programs and other eligibility determinations.
Specifically, the bill requires state Medicaid programs to verify the assets of all Medicaid applicants and recipients for purposes of determining Medicaid eligibility, rather than only of applicants or recipients who are aged, blind, or disabled. The bill also requires U.S. territories to implement asset verification programs. Such requirements must be fully implemented by FY2024.
The bill also requires state Medicaid programs to apply a resource eligibility test whenever an income eligibility determination is required, based on resource limitations under the Supplemental Security Income program (currently, states are prohibited from using resource tests).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2377 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2377

To apply the Medicaid asset verification program to all applicants for, 
 and recipients of, medical assistance in all States and territories, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 31, 2019

  Mr. Inhofe introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To apply the Medicaid asset verification program to all applicants for, 
 and recipients of, medical assistance in all States and territories, 
                        and for other purposes.

    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 ``Medicaid Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF MEDICAID ASSET TEST TO ALL APPLICANTS FOR, AND 
              RECIPIENTS OF, MEDICAL ASSISTANCE IN ALL STATES AND 
              TERRITORIES.

    (a) Application to All Applicants and Recipients.--Section 
1940(b)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396w(b)(1)(A)) is 
amended by striking ``on the basis of being aged, blind, or disabled''.
    (b) Application to the Territories.--Section 1940(a) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1396w(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (4).
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) 
shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
    (d) Phase-In Implementation.--
            (1) In general.--During the 180 day period that begins on 
        the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services shall require States to submit and implement an 
        asset verification program under section 1940 of the Social 
        Security Act (as amended by subsections (a) and (b)) in such 
        manner as is designed to result in the application of such 
        programs, in the aggregate for all States, to enrollment of 
        approximately, but not less than, the following percentage of 
        enrollees, in the aggregate for all States, by the end of the 
        fiscal year involved:
                    (A) 12.5 percent by the end of fiscal year 2020.
                    (B) 25 percent by the end of fiscal year 2021.
                    (C) 50 percent by the end of fiscal year 2022.
                    (D) 75 percent by the end of fiscal year 2023.
                    (E) 100 percent by the end of fiscal year 2024.
            (2) Consideration.--In selecting States under paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall consult 
        with the States involved and take into account the feasibility 
        of implementing asset verification programs in each such State.
            (3) Construction.--Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be 
        construed as preventing a State from requesting, and the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services from approving, the 
        implementation of an asset verification program in advance of 
        the deadline otherwise established under such paragraph.

SEC. 3. MEDICAID RESOURCES ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT.

    (a) In General.--Section 1902(e)(14)(C) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1396a(e)(14)(C)) is amended to read as follows--
                    ``(C) Resources test requirement.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Notwithstanding any 
                        other provision of this title, in the case of 
                        any individual with respect to whom a 
                        determination of income eligibility for medical 
                        assistance under the State plan or under any 
                        waiver of such plan is required, the State 
                        shall also apply a resources eligibility test 
                        that meets the requirement of clause (ii).
                            ``(ii) Requirement.--A State resources 
                        eligibility test meets the requirement of this 
                        clause if the test precludes eligibility for 
                        any individual whose resources (as determined 
                        under section 1613 for purposes of the 
                        supplemental security income program) exceed 
                        the maximum amount of resources that an 
                        individual may have and obtain benefits under 
                        that program, or such lower amount of resources 
                        as the State shall establish.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the amendment 
        made by subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2020.
            (2) Rule for changes requiring state legislation.--In the 
        case of a State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) 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 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 this additional requirement 
        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.
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