CO Code § 25.5-5-201 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 25.5 - Health Care Policy and Financing|Article 5 - Colorado Medical Assistance Act - Services and Programs|Part 2 - Optional Provisions|§ 25.5-5-201. Optional Provisions - Optional Groups

  The federal government allows the state to select optional groups to receive medical assistance. Pursuant to federal law, any person who is eligible for medical assistance under the optional groups specified in this section shall receive both the mandatory services specified in sections 25.5-5-102 and 25.5-5-103 and the optional services specified in sections 25.5-5-202 and 25.5-5-203. Subject to the availability of federal financial aid funds, the following are the individuals or groups that Colorado has selected as optional groups to receive medical assistance pursuant to this article and articles 4 and 6 of this title 25.5:   Individuals who would be eligible for but are not receiving cash assistance;    Individuals who would be eligible for cash assistance except for their institutionalized status;    Individuals receiving home- and community-based services as specified in article 6 of this title;       Repealed.    Individuals receiving only optional state supplement;    Individuals in institutions who are eligible under a special income level. Colorado's program for citizens sixty-five years of age or older or physically disabled or blind, whose gross income does not exceed three hundred percent of the current federal supplemental security income benefit level, qualifies for federal funding under this provision.    Persons who are eligible for cash assistance under the works program pursuant to section 26-2-706, C.R.S.;    Persons who are eligible for the breast and cervical cancer prevention and treatment program pursuant to section 25.5-5-308;    Individuals who are qualified aliens and were or would have been eligible for supplemental security income as a result of a disability but are not eligible for such supplemental security income as a result of the passage of the federal “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996”, Public Law 104-193;    Other qualified aliens who entered or were present in the United States before August 22, 1996;    Children for whom subsidized adoption assistance payments are made by the state pursuant to article 7 of title 26, C.R.S., or foster care maintenance payments are made by the state pursuant to article 5 of title 26, C.R.S., but who do not meet the requirements of Title IV-E of the “Social Security Act”, as amended;    Parents and caretaker relatives of children who are eligible for the medical assistance program whose family income does not exceed one hundred thirty-three percent of the federal poverty line, adjusted for family size;  (m.5) Pregnant women, whose family income does not exceed one hundred eighty-five percent of the federal poverty line, adjusted for family size;     Repealed.      Individuals with disabilities who are participating in the medicaid buy-in program established in part 14 of article 6 of this title. (o) (I) Individuals with disabilities who are participating in the medicaid buy-in program established in part 14 of article 6 of this title.    Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1)(o)(I) of this section, if the money in the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund established pursuant to section 25.5-4-402.4, together with the corresponding federal matching funds, is insufficient to fully fund all of the purposes described in section (5)(b), after receiving recommendations from the Colorado healthcare affordability and sustainability enterprise established pursuant to section 25.5-4-402.4 (3), for individuals with disabilities who are participating in the medicaid buy-in program established in part 14 of article 6 of this title 25.5, the state board by rule adopted pursuant to the provisions of section 25.5-4-402.4 (6)(b)(III) may reduce the medical benefits offered or the percentage of the federal poverty line to below four hundred fifty percent or may eliminate this eligibility group.    Repealed.       Subject to federal approval, adults who are childless or without a dependent child in the home, as described in section 1902 (a)(10)(A)(i)(VIII) of the social security act, 42 U.S.C. sec. 1396a, who have attained nineteen years of age but have not attained sixty-five years of age, and whose family income does not exceed one hundred thirty-three percent of the federal poverty line, adjusted for family size;    Children who are continuously eligible for twelve months pursuant to section 25.5-5-204.5;      Persons eligible for a medicaid buy-in program established pursuant to section 25.5-5-206 whose family income does not exceed a specified percentage of the federal poverty line, adjusted for family size and as set by the state board by rule, which percentage shall be not more than four hundred fifty percent. (r) (I) Persons eligible for a medicaid buy-in program established pursuant to section 25.5-5-206 whose family income does not exceed a specified percentage of the federal poverty line, adjusted for family size and as set by the state board by rule, which percentage shall be not more than four hundred fifty percent.    Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1)(r)(I) of this section, if the money in the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund established pursuant to section 25.5-4-402.4, together with the corresponding federal matching funds, is insufficient to fully fund all of the purposes described in section (5)(b), after receiving recommendations from the Colorado healthcare affordability and sustainability enterprise established pursuant to section 25.5-4-402.4 (3), for persons eligible for a medicaid buy-in program established pursuant to section 25.5-5-206, the state board by rule adopted pursuant to the provisions of section 25.5-4-402.4 (6)(b)(III) may reduce the medical benefits offered, or the percentage of the federal poverty line, or may eliminate this eligibility group.    Repealed.            A qualified alien, who entered the United States on or after August 22, 1996, shall not be eligible for benefits under this article and articles 4 and 6 of this title, except as provided in section 25.5-5-103 (3), for five years after the date of entry into the United States unless he or she meets the exceptions described in the federal “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996”, Public Law 104-193, as amended. After five years, such qualified alien shall be eligible for benefits under this article and articles 4 and 6 of this title but shall have sponsor income and resources deemed to the individual or family under rules established by the state board of human services pursuant to section 26-2-137, C.R.S.    Notwithstanding the five-year waiting period established in paragraph (a) of this subsection (2), but subject to the availability of sufficient appropriations and the receipt of federal financial participation, the state department may provide benefits under this article and articles 4 and 6 of this title to a pregnant woman who is a qualified alien and a child under nineteen years of age who is a qualified alien so long as such woman or child meets eligibility criteria other than citizenship.       A legal immigrant who is receiving medicaid nursing facility care or home- and community-based services on July 1, 1997, shall continue to receive such services as long as he or she meets the eligibility requirements other than citizen status. State general funds may be used to reimburse such care in the event that federal financial participation is not available.    A pregnant legal immigrant shall be eligible to receive prenatal and medical services for labor and delivery as long as she meets eligibility requirements other than citizen status. State general funds may be used to reimburse such care in the event that federal financial participation is not available. (4.5)   Subject to the receipt of federal financial participation, to the maximum extent allowed under federal law, a person who was eligible for all pregnancy-related and postpartum services under the medical assistance program for the sixty days following the pregnancy remains continuously eligible for all services under the medical assistance program for the twelve-month postpartum period.    The state department shall seek any plan amendment necessary to implement a twelve-month postpartum benefit pursuant to this subsection (4.5) and shall implement the benefit only upon receipt of federal authorization and financial participation, and no later than July 1, 2022.    If permissible under federal law, an eligible individual within the postpartum period may resume coverage under the medical assistance program upon implementation of this section.       An asset test shall not be applied as a condition of eligibility for individuals or families described in paragraphs   , (h), and (m.5) of subsection (1) of this section.        History. Source: L. 2006: Entire article added with relocations, p. 1858, § 7, effective July 1. L. 2007: (1)(n) added, p. 897, § 1, effective May 15. L. 2008: (1)(l) and (1)(n) amended and (1)(o) added, pp. 1532, 2200, §§ 1, 2, effective July 1. L. 2009: (1)(m)(I) and (1)(o) amended and (1)(p), (1)(q), and (1)(r) added, (HB 09-1293, ch. 152, p. 645, § 5, effective July 1; (2) amended,(HB 09-1353), ch. 390, p. 1869, § 2, effective July 1, 2010. L. 2010: (5)(c) added,(HB 10-1043), ch. 92, p. 312, § 2, effective April 15; (1)(m)(I), (1)(o)(II), (1)(p)(I), (1)(p)(II), (1)(r)(I), and (1)(r)(II) amended,(HB 10-1422), ch. 419, p. 2111, § 144, effective August 11. L. 2013: (1)(m) and (1)(p) amended,(SB 13-200), ch. 216, p. 898, § 2, effective May 13. L. 2014: (1)(d), (1)(e), and (1)(n) repealed, (1)(m.5) added, and (5) amended,(SB 14-067), ch. 12, p. 113, § 5, effective February 27. L. 2017: IP(1), (1)(o)(II), and (1)(r)(II) amended,(SB 17-267), ch. 267, p. 1465, § 19, effective July 1. L. 2021: (4.5) added,(SB 21-194), ch. 434, p. 2871, § 7, effective September 7.    Editor's note:    This section is similar to former § 26-4-301 as it existed prior to 2006.    Prior to the amendment of subsection (1)(m) in 2013, subsection (1)(m)(II)(B) provided for the repeal of subsection (1)(m)(II), effective January 1, 2007. (SeeL. 2006, p. 1858.)    Prior to the amendment of subsection (5) in 2014, subsection (5)(b)(II) provided for the repeal of subsection (5)(b), effective July 1, 2007. (SeeL. 2006, p. 1858.)    Subsection (1)(o)(III)(C) provided for the repeal of subsection (1)(o)(III), effective the July 1 following the revisor of statutes' receipt of the notice required pursuant to subsection (1)(o)(III)(B). (SeeL. 2009, p. 645.) The revisor of statutes received said notice dated March 23, 2012.    Prior to the amendment of subsection (1)(p) in 2013, subsection (1)(p)(III)(C) provided for the repeal of subsection (1)(p)(III), effective the July 1 following the revisor of statutes' receipt of the notice required pursuant to subsection (1)(p)(III)(B). (SeeL. 2009, p. 645.) The revisor of statutes received said notice dated April 2, 2012.    Subsection (1)(r)(III)(C) provided for the repeal of subsection (1)(r)(III), effective the July 1 following the revisor of statutes' receipt of the notice required pursuant to subsection (1)(r)(III)(B). (SeeL. 2009, p. 645.) The revisor of statutes received said notice dated February 17, 2017.    Section 34 of chapter 267 (SB 17-267), Session Laws of Colorado 2017, provides that the section of the act changing this section does not take effect if the centers for medicare and medicaid services determine that the amendments do not comply with federal law. For more information, see SB 17-267. (L. 2017, p. 1478.) The executive director of the department of health care policy and financing did not notify the revisor of statutes by June 1, 2017, of such determination; therefore, the changes to this section took effect July 1, 2017.     Cross references:   For the legislative declaration in SB 17-267, see section 1 of chapter 267, Session Laws of Colorado 2017.