Public assistance, regular cross-checks required for Medicaid and food assistance eligibility

Senate Bill 245 aims to revise eligibility determinations for public assistance programs, specifically Medicaid and food assistance, affecting applicants and current recipients. It prohibits the Alabama Medicaid Agency from accepting certain self-attestations for Medicaid eligibility without prior verification. The bill mandates both the Medicaid Agency and the Department of Human Resources to establish data matching agreements with various state and federal agencies to regularly cross-check eligibility information, including income, employment, and assets. These agencies must also regularly review federal data sources to assess continued eligibility. Finally, the bill requires these agencies to regularly publish aggregate data related to investigations of fraud and noncompliance.