Medi-Cal: monthly maintenance amount: personal and incidental needs.

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 provisions. Qualified individuals under the Medi-Cal program include medically needy persons and medically needy family persons who meet the required eligibility criteria, including applicable income requirements. Existing law requires the department to establish income levels for maintenance need at the lowest levels that reasonably permit a medically needy person to meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter, and for which federal financial participation will still be provided under applicable federal law. In calculating the income of a medically needy person in a medical institution or nursing facility, or a person receiving institutional or noninstitutional services from a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly organization, the required monthly maintenance amount includes an amount providing for personal and incidental needs in the amount of not less than $35 per month while a patient. Existing law authorizes the department to increase, by regulation, this amount as necessitated by increasing costs of personal and incidental needs. This bill would increase the monthly maintenance amount for personal and incidental needs from $35 to $80, commencing on July 1, 2024, or on the date that any necessary federal approvals are obtained, whichever is later. The bill would also condition implementation of this amount increase on an express appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute for the purposes of the bill and federal financial participation being available and not otherwise jeopardized. The bill would require the department to implement these provisions through all-county letters or similar instructions until regulations are adopted.