Medi-Cal: independent foster care adolescents.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income persons receive health care benefits. Existing law requires the department, if, and to the extent that, all necessary federal approvals are obtained for federal financial participation, to implement a federal option to extend Medi-Cal benefits to independent foster care adolescents, as defined in federal law. This bill would specify that, if the department has exercised this option, commencing April 1, 2010, specified independent foster care adolescents would be deemed eligible for the benefits and would be automatically enrolled without requiring a new application and without an interruption in coverage. This bill would require the department to develop and implement a simplified form for the annual redetermination of benefits. An independent foster care adolescent would only be required to fill out and return the form if previously provided information was no longer accurate. This bill would specify that the bill would be implemented only if, and to the extent that, federal financial participation is available and any necessary federal approvals are obtained. This bill would also prescribe a process for terminating the eligibility of an independent foster care adolescent.