Bill > S2646

This bill, the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act, aims to provide Medicaid assistance to individuals and families affected by a disaster or emergency. The key provisions of the bill are: 1. It amends Title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid) to require state plans to provide medical assistance to "relief-eligible survivors" of a disaster during the "relief coverage period" of the disaster, which is defined as the period beginning on the date the disaster is declared and ending 2 years after that date. 2. It establishes simplified application and presumptive eligibility processes for relief-eligible survivors to quickly access Medicaid coverage. It also requires continuous eligibility for the duration of the relief coverage period. 3. It allows states to provide extended mental health and care coordination benefits, as well as home and community-based services, to relief-eligible survivors without regard to typical Medicaid restrictions. 4. It provides 100% federal funding for Medicaid coverage of relief-eligible survivors and for medical assistance provided in "direct impact areas" of a disaster during the relief coverage period. 5. It promotes strategies to help states respond to increased demand for medical assistance following a disaster, including through technical assistance, support for innovative state approaches, and a grant program to establish home and community-based services emergency response corps. The overall goal of the bill is to ensure Medicaid access and continuity of care for individuals affected by major disasters.