Legislature(2007 - 2008)
2007-04-04 Senate Journal
Full Journal pdf2007-04-04 Senate Journal Page 0747 SB 4 SENATE BILL NO. 4 "An Act extending the cash assistance benefit program for seniors under the senior care program and increasing the benefit amount; and providing for an effective date" was read the second time. Senator Stedman, Cochair, moved and asked unanimous consent for the adoption of the Finance Committee Substitute offered on page 745. Senator Therriault objected, then withdrew his objection. There being no further objection, CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 4(FIN) was adopted. Senator Wielechowski offered Amendment No. 1 : Page 1, line 2, following "amount;": Insert "amending medical income eligibility provisions for persons under 19 years of age and for pregnant women;" 2007-04-04 Senate Journal Page 0748 Page 1, following line 3: Insert a new bill section to read: "* Section 1. AS 47.07.020(b) is amended to read: (b) In addition to the persons specified in (a) of this section, the following optional groups of persons for whom the state may claim federal financial participation are eligible for medical assistance: (1) persons eligible for but not receiving assistance under any plan of the state approved under 42 U.S.C. 1381 - 1383c (Title XVI, Social Security Act, Supplemental Security Income) or a federal program designated as the successor to the aid to families with dependent children program; (2) persons in a general hospital, skilled nursing facility, or intermediate care facility, who, if they left the facility, would be eligible for assistance under one of the federal programs specified in (1) of this subsection; (3) persons under 21 years of age who are under supervision of the department, for whom maintenance is being paid in whole or in part from public funds, and who are in foster homes or private child-care institutions; (4) aged, blind, or disabled persons, who, because they do not meet income and resources requirements, do not receive supplemental security income under 42 U.S.C. 1381 - 1383c (Title XVI, Social Security Act), and who do not receive a mandatory state supplement, but who are eligible, or would be eligible if they were not in a skilled nursing facility or intermediate care facility to receive an optional state supplementary payment; (5) persons under 21 years of age who are in an institution designated as an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded and who are financially eligible as determined by the standards of the federal program designated as the successor to the aid to families with dependent children program; (6) persons in a medical or intermediate care facility whose income while in the facility does not exceed $1,656 a month but who would not be eligible for an optional state supplementary payment if they left the hospital or other facility; 2007-04-04 Senate Journal Page 0749 (7) persons under 21 years of age who are receiving active treatment in a psychiatric hospital and who are financially eligible as determined by the standards of the federal program designated as the successor to the aid to families with dependent children program; (8) persons under 21 years of age and not covered under (a) of this section, who would be eligible for benefits under the federal program designated as the successor to the aid to families with dependent children program, except that they have the care and support of both their natural and adoptive parents; (9) pregnant women not covered under (a) of this section and who meet the income and resource requirements of the federal program designated as the successor to the aid to families with dependent children program; (10) persons under 21 years of age not covered under (a) of this section who the department has determined cannot be placed for adoption without medical assistance because of a special need for medical or rehabilitative care and who the department has determined are hard-to-place children eligible for subsidy under AS 25.23.190 - 25.23.210; (11) persons who can be considered under 42 U.S.C. 1396a(e)(3) (Title XIX, Social Security Act, Medical Assistance) to be individuals with respect to whom a supplemental security income is being paid under 42 U.S.C. 1381 - 1383c (Title XVI, Social Security Act) because they meet all of the following criteria: (A) they are 18 years of age or younger and qualify as disabled individuals under 42 U.S.C. 1382c(a) (Title XVI, Social Security Act); (B) the department has determined that (i) they require a level of care provided in a hospital, nursing facility, or intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded; (ii) it is appropriate to provide their care outside of an institution; and 2007-04-04 Senate Journal Page 0750 (iii) the estimated amount that would be spent for medical assistance for their individual care outside an institution is not greater than the estimated amount that would otherwise be expended individually for medical assistance within an appropriate institution; (C) if they were in a medical institution, they would be eligible for medical assistance under other provisions of this chapter; and (D) home and community-based services under a waiver approved by the federal government are either not available to them under this chapter or would be inappropriate for them; (12) disabled persons, as described in 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(10)(A)(ii)(XIII), who are in families whose income, as determined under applicable federal regulations or guidelines, is less than 250 percent of the official poverty line applicable to a family of that size according to the federal office of management and budget, and who, but for earnings in excess of the limit established under 42 U.S.C. 1396d(q)(2)(B), would be considered to be individuals with respect to whom a supplemental security income is being paid under 42 U.S.C. 1381 - 1383c; a person eligible for assistance under this paragraph who is not eligible under another provision of this section shall pay a premium or other cost- sharing charges according to a sliding fee scale that is based on income as established by the department in regulations; (13) persons under 19 years of age who are not covered under (a) of this section and whose household income does not exceed 175 percent of the federal poverty line for Alaska set by the United States Department of Health and Human Services and revised under 42 U.S.C. 9902(2) [(A) $1,635 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF ONE PERSON; (B) $2,208 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF TWO PERSONS; 2007-04-04 Senate Journal Page 0751 (C) $2,782 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF THREE PERSONS; (D) $3,355 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF FOUR PERSONS; (E) $3,928 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF FIVE PERSONS; (F) $4,501 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF SIX PERSONS; (G) $5,074 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF SEVEN PERSONS; (H) $5,647 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF EIGHT PERSONS; (I) $5,647 A MONTH, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $574 A MONTH FOR EACH EXTRA PERSON ABOVE EIGHT PERSONS WHO IS IN THE HOUSEHOLD IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF NINE PERSONS OR MORE]; (14) pregnant women who are not covered under (a) of this section and whose household income does not exceed 175 percent of the federal poverty guideline for Alaska set by the United States Department of Health and Human Services [(A) $2,208 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF TWO PERSONS; (B) $2,782 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF THREE PERSONS; (C) $3,355 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF FOUR PERSONS; (D) $3,928 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF FIVE PERSONS; (E) $4,501 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF SIX PERSONS; (F) $5,074 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF SEVEN PERSONS; (G) $5,647 A MONTH IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF EIGHT PERSONS; (H) $5,647 A MONTH, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $574 A MONTH FOR EACH EXTRA PERSON ABOVE EIGHT PERSONS 2007-04-04 Senate Journal Page 0752 WHO IS IN THE HOUSEHOLD IF THE HOUSEHOLD CONSISTS OF NINE PERSONS OR MORE]; (15) persons who have been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer and who are eligible for coverage under 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(10)(A)(ii)(XVIII)." Page 1, line 4: Delete "Section 1" Insert "Sec. 2" Renumber the following bill sections accordingly. Page 4, line 1: Delete "secs. 1 - 10" Insert "secs. 2 - 11" Page 4, line 3: Delete "secs. 8 and 10" Insert "secs. 9 and 11" Page 4, line 7: Delete "Section 11" Insert "Section 12" Page 4, line 8: Delete "sec. 12" Insert "sec. 13" Senator Wielechowski moved for the adoption of Amendment No. 1. Senator Therriault objected. Senator Stedman called the Senate. Senator Stedman lifted the call. The question being: "Shall Amendment No. 1 be adopted?" The roll was taken with the following result: 2007-04-04 Senate Journal Page 0753 CSSB 4(FIN) Second Reading Amendment No. 1 YEAS: 14 NAYS: 3 EXCUSED: 2 ABSENT: 1 Yeas: Cowdery, Davis, Ellis, Elton, French, Green, Hoffman, Huggins, Kookesh, Olson, Stedman, Stevens, Thomas, Wielechowski Nays: Bunde, Therriault, Wilken Excused: McGuire, Wagoner Absent: Dyson and so, Amendment No. 1 was adopted. President Green stated CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 4(FIN) am "An Act extending the cash assistance benefit program for seniors under the senior care program and increasing the benefit amount; amending medical income eligibility provisions for persons under 19 years of age and for pregnant women; and providing for an effective date" will be on the April 10 calendar.