Bill > HR5100

This bill, the At-Risk Youth Medicaid Protection Act of 2016, aims to prevent at-risk youth from losing their Medicaid eligibility when they are incarcerated in a public institution. Medicaid is a government health insurance program for low-income individuals and families. The bill amends Title XIX of the Social Security Act, which governs Medicaid, to ensure that states cannot terminate a juvenile's Medicaid coverage simply because they are an inmate of a public institution. Instead, states can suspend coverage during the period of incarceration but must automatically restore it upon release without requiring a new application, unless the juvenile is found to no longer meet eligibility requirements. The bill also clarifies that states must process Medicaid applications for juveniles who are inmates of public institutions. It defines "juvenile" as someone under 21 or meeting specific criteria, an "eligible juvenile" as a juvenile in a public institution who was or becomes eligible for Medicaid, and "inmate of a public institution" with specific exclusions for patients in medical institutions. Importantly, this bill does not alter the general exclusion of inmates of public institutions from Medicaid or mandate the suspension of coverage before adjudication or sentencing. The changes are set to take effect one year after enactment, with provisions for states requiring legislative action.