Bill > S2874

This bill, the At-Risk Youth Medicaid Protection Act of 2016, aims to ensure that young people who are incarcerated do not lose their Medicaid coverage, which is a government health insurance program for low-income individuals. Specifically, it amends Title XIX of the Social Security Act to prevent states from terminating a juvenile's Medicaid enrollment simply because they are in a public institution, though enrollment can be suspended during their time there. Upon release, their Medicaid enrollment will be automatically restored without requiring a new application, ensuring immediate coverage unless they are found to be otherwise ineligible. The bill also clarifies definitions for "juvenile," "eligible juvenile," and "inmate of a public institution" for the purposes of these protections, and it specifies that states must process Medicaid applications for incarcerated juveniles even while they are in custody. These changes are intended to protect vulnerable youth and ensure continuity of care, with a delayed effective date to allow states time to implement the new provisions.