Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act

Bill: 115-s-1797
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2017-09-12
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Adoption and foster care

Health care costs and insurance

Health care coverage and access

Medicaid

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2017-09-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-09-12
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act <br /></b></p> <p>This bill requires state Medicaid programs to expand coverage&nbsp;for former foster care youth. Specifically,&nbsp;state Medicaid programs must cover individuals who were in foster care at 14 years of age but who subsequently left foster care due to a kinship guardianship. In addition,&nbsp;states must provide such coverage regardless of whether individuals were enrolled in Medicaid while in foster care.</p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1797 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 12, 2017 Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal ) 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act . 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— (1) in item (bb)— (A) by striking are not described in or enrolled under and inserting are not described in and are not enrolled under ; and (B) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting ; and ; (2) in item (cc), by striking responsibility of the State and all that follows through 475(8)(B)(iii); and and inserting 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 who were in such care on the date of attaining 14 years of 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) ; and (3) by striking item (dd). (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act. 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 (82), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon; (2) in paragraph (83), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (3) by inserting after paragraph (83) the following new paragraph: (84) not later than January 1, 2019, 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. .