Bill > AB720

This bill aims to improve health care enrollment for individuals in county jails by clarifying that being an inmate does not automatically disqualify them from applying for health insurance affordability programs, such as Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program) or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and that county human services agencies should process these applications. It allows county boards of supervisors, in consultation with county sheriffs, to designate entities, potentially community-based organizations, to help jail inmates apply for these programs, with specific conditions for sheriff involvement and community organization approval. The bill also clarifies that Medi-Cal benefits for inmates should not be terminated solely due to their detention, unless federal law requires it or they become otherwise ineligible, and that inmates can remain eligible for Medi-Cal for acute inpatient hospital services if federal law permits. Additionally, it modifies existing law regarding the suspension of Medi-Cal benefits for inmates, ensuring that such suspensions end when the individual is no longer incarcerated or after one year, whichever comes first, and that these provisions are implemented only to the extent allowed by federal law and without jeopardizing federal funding.