Low-income individuals: eligibility determinations.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing federal law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, formerly the Food Stamp Program, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to seek any federal waivers necessary to use eligibility information of certain individuals who have been determined eligible for the CalFresh program to determine their eligibility for Medi-Cal. This bill would also require the State Department of Health Care Services to seek any federal waivers necessary to use eligibility information of certain individuals who have been determined eligible for the CalFresh program to redetermine their eligibility for Medi-Cal. The bill would similarly require the State Department of Social Services to seek any federal waivers necessary to use eligibility information of individuals who have been determined eligible for the Medi-Cal program to determine or redetermine their CalFresh eligibility. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services to consult with stakeholders in the implementation of this provision and would authorize the State Department of Social Services to implement this provision by means of all-county letters or similar instructions.