Bill > HB1351

This bill modifies eligibility requirements for MO HealthNet, Missouri's Medicaid program, by requiring individuals to meet federal criteria outlined in 42 CFR 435, including residency, a valid Social Security number, and U.S. citizenship or qualified alien status, with pregnant women needing to verify their pregnancy. It also mandates annual eligibility redeterminations for all participants, utilizing electronic searches for income, residency, citizenship, and other factors, and allows the department to contract with organizations for these redeterminations. The bill specifies 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 minimum essential coverage. Furthermore, it introduces an alternative package of MO HealthNet benefits for individuals aged nineteen to sixty-four who are not pregnant, not eligible for Medicare, and whose household income is at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, with a special provision for those deemed "medically frail" to receive full coverage. The bill also directs the department to establish a screening process for determining medical frailty and to explore providing premium subsidies for eligible individuals to enroll in employer-provided health plans.