HF 2690 (LSB 6379HV (1) 90)

HOUSE FILE 2690

BY  COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 747)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the maximum amount of available resources disregarded under the Medicaid for employed people with disabilities program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 249A.3, subsection 2, paragraph a, subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (a), Code 2024, is amended to read as follows:
   (a)  As allowed under 42 U.S.C. §1396a(a)(10)(A)(ii)(XIII), individuals with disabilities, who are less than sixty-five years of age, who are members of families whose income is less than two three hundred fifty percent of the most recently revised official poverty guidelines published by the United States department of health and human services for the family, who have earned income and who are eligible for mandatory medical assistance or optional medical assistance under this section if earnings are disregarded. As allowed by 42 U.S.C. §1396a(r)(2), unearned income shall also be disregarded in determining whether an individual is eligible for assistance under this subparagraph. For the purposes of determining the amount of an individual’s resources under this subparagraph and as allowed by 42 U.S.C. §1396a(r)(2), a maximum of ten thousand dollars of available resources for an individual and twenty-one thousand dollars of available resources for a couple shall be disregarded, and any additional resources held in a retirement account, in a medical savings account, or in any other account approved under rules adopted by the department shall also be disregarded.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to the Medicaid for employed people with disabilities (MEPD) program.
   Currently, the income eligibility level requirement for the MEPD program is 250 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The bill increases the income eligibility level to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
   Currently, for the purposes of determining the resources of an individual to meet the eligibility requirements for the MEPD program, a maximum of $10,000 of available resources is disregarded, in addition to any additional resources held in a retirement account, in a medical savings account, or in any other account approved under rules adopted by the department of health and human services (HHS). The bill maintains the maximum amount of $10,000 in available resources disregarded for an individual, but provides that for the purposes of determining the resources of a couple, a maximum amount of $21,000 of available resources is disregarded in addition to additional resources held in a retirement account, in a medical savings account, or in any other account approved under rules adopted by HHS.