Protecting Married Seniors from Impoverishment Act

Bill: 115-hr-7149
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12]
Introduced: 2018-11-16
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Aging

Health care costs and insurance

Home and outpatient care

Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care

Marriage and family status

Medicaid
Latest action: action_date: 2018-11-16
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-11-16
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Protecting Married Seniors from Impoverishment Act</b></p> <p>This bill makes permanent certain provisions regarding Medicaid eligibility that protect against spousal impoverishment for recipients of home and community-based services. Under current law, these provisions expire on December 31, 2018. </p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7149 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 16, 2018 Mrs. Dingell (for herself and Mr. Upton ) 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 remove an institutional bias by making permanent the protection for recipients of home and community-based services against spousal impoverishment.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Married Seniors from Impoverishment Act . 2. Making permanent the protection under Medicaid for recipients of home and community-based services against spousal impoverishment (a) In general Section 1924(h)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396r–5(h)(1)(A) ) is amended by striking (at the option of the State) is described in section 1902(a)(10)(A)(ii)(VI) and inserting the following: before January 1, 2019, at the option of the State, is described in section 1902(a)(10)(A)(ii)(VI), or, beginning January 1, 2019, is eligible for medical assistance for home and community-based services provided under subsection (c), (d), or (i) of section 1915, under a waiver approved under section 1115, or who is eligible for such medical assistance by reason of being determined eligible under section 1902(a)(10)(C) or by reason of section 1902(f) or otherwise on the basis of a reduction of income based on costs incurred for medical or other remedial care, or who is eligible for medical assistance for home and community-based attendant services and supports under section 1915(k) . (b) Construction (1) Protecting State spousal income and asset disregard flexibility under waivers and plan amendments Nothing in section 2404 of Public Law 111–148 ( 42 U.S.C. 1395r–5 ) or section 1924 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396r–5 ) shall be construed as prohibiting a State from disregarding an individual's spousal income and assets under a State waiver or plan amendment described in paragraph (2) for purposes of making determinations of eligibility for home and community-based services or home and community-based attendant services and supports under such waiver or plan amendment. (2) State waiver or plan amendment described A State waiver or plan amendment described in this paragraph is any of the following: (A) A waiver or plan amendment to provide medical assistance for home and community-based services under a waiver or plan amendment under subsection (c), (d), or (i) of section 1915 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396n ) or under section 1115 of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1315 ). (B) A plan amendment to provide medical assistance for home and community-based services for individuals by reason of being determined eligible under section 1902(a)(10)(C) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(10)(C) ) or by reason of section 1902(f) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396a(f) ) or otherwise on the basis of a reduction of income based on costs incurred for medical or other remedial care under which the State disregarded the income and assets of the individual's spouse in determining the initial and ongoing financial eligibility of an individual for such services in place of the spousal impoverishment provisions applied under section 1924 of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396r–5 ). (C) A plan amendment to provide medical assistance for home and community-based attendant services and supports under section 1915(k) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396n(k) ).