Ensuring Affordable Care Act (ACA) is Achieved
Concord, CA – AB1296 authored by Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla (D-Concord) was signed by Governor Brown ensuring the overall purpose of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) is achieved so the people of California are enrolled and benefit from health programs they can afford.
This enacts the Health Care Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention Act, to implement the ACA requirement of creating a single statewide application to be used by all entities accepting and processing applications, for enrolling consumers in health coverage. The system must be available to apply by phone, mail, online or in person for enrolling into Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and the Exchange.
The Exchange is designed to be a "one-stop shop" that will offer affordable high-quality health insurance options, to individuals and families that earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). The Exchange will provide options to those that have none or limited insurance from their employer and cannot afford to purchase insurance, in the individual or group market. Furthermore, the Exchange will be available for small businesses that cannot afford group health insurance.
"This bill implements a statewide approach to determine eligibility and allow enrollment of consumers in the most appropriate program, said Bonilla. "This ensures the much needed 'no wrong door' application system is applied and Californians are enrolled into the correct program."
The California Health and Human Services Agency will be required to consult with the California Department of Health Care Services, Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, the California Health Benefit Exchange, counties, health care services plans, consumer advocates and other stakeholders to develop plans and procedures to determine eligibility, enrollment, and retention in programs.
Under the ACA, states are provided with 100% federal funds from the Exchange grant and 90% federal funds for the Medi-Cal expansion to build the single-statewide application. California's Exchange has already received $39 million in federal grants -- $25 million of which is for the eligibility system. After 2016, the federal government will provide 75% on-going funding to maintain the system.
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