Bill > HB474

This bill modifies eligibility for MO HealthNet, Missouri's Medicaid program, by requiring individuals to meet federal criteria outlined in 42 CFR 435, including residency, a Social Security number, and U.S. citizenship or qualified alien status, and mandates annual eligibility redeterminations using electronic searches and data sources. It also introduces new eligibility pathways and benefit packages, including an alternative package for adults aged 19-64 who are not pregnant, not Medicare-eligible, and have incomes at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, with a provision for medically frail individuals to receive full benefits, and requires the department to explore cost-effective options for enrolling eligible individuals in employer-sponsored health plans. Furthermore, the bill clarifies definitions for terms like "caretaker relative" and "medically frail," and establishes that parents or caretaker relatives living with a dependent child can only receive MO HealthNet benefits if the child is also receiving MO HealthNet, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or has minimum essential coverage.