Bill > SB742

This bill, the Maryland Protecting People With Disabilities Act, makes significant changes to how individuals receiving services through the Maryland Medical Assistance Program and the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) are assessed for eligibility. Key provisions include removing the 90-day time limit for individuals to appeal a loss of DDA services eligibility, ensuring that these services continue uninterrupted during an appeal. The bill also establishes new requirements for the Department of Health regarding eligibility determinations and redeterminations for the Maryland Medical Assistance Program, which is referred to as the "Program." It prohibits the Department from terminating an individual's eligibility for the Program or home- and community-based services (services authorized under specific federal Medicaid options or waivers) solely due to procedural reasons, such as missing documentation or incomplete information, unless specific steps have been taken to obtain the necessary information and provide the individual with a clear opportunity to respond. The bill also mandates that the Department use "ex parte redeterminations," a process where eligibility is assessed using existing data without requiring additional information from the recipient, to prevent "procedural disenrollment," which is the termination of eligibility due to issues with the renewal process rather than a determination of ineligibility. Furthermore, the Department must provide information about eligibility requirements, services, and recipient rights in accessible formats, including language services for those with limited English proficiency and auxiliary aids for individuals with disabilities. Finally, the bill requires the Department to report quarterly to the General Assembly on various aspects of eligibility redeterminations and disenrollments for home- and community-based services.