July 10, 2020 Louisiana Department of Health seeking public comment on Act 421 - Children’s Medicaid Option proposed program

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jul 10, 2020 - Baton Rouge, La. (July 10, 2020) – The Louisiana Department of Health is seeking public comment on a proposed program called the Act 421 – Children’s Medicaid Option. The draft Medicaid program proposal is posted online for review and for public comment at www.ldh.la.gov/act421. In addition, the Department is hosting two virtual public forums, the first on July 22 and the second on July 27.

Act 421 of the 2019 legislative session directs the Louisiana Department of Health to implement a program modeled after the federal Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act Medicaid program, also known as TEFRA. Louisiana Medicaid has been working closely with the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities and stakeholders to draft an option that is sustainable and fiscally responsible given that much is still unknown about this new population.

Named the Act 421 – Children’s Medicaid Option (421-CMO), the proposed Louisiana Medicaid program will provide benefits to certain children with disabilities who would not ordinarily be eligible for Medicaid because their parents’ income and/or resources exceed the allowable limits.

In order to qualify for Medicaid under the Act 421 – Children’s Medicaid Option, children must meet all of the following criteria:

1. child is 18 years or younger;
2. child meets the disability definition for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits;
3. child meets institutional level-of-care (LOC) criteria for ICF/IID, nursing facility, or hospital;
4. care can be provided safely at home; and
5. care at home is more cost-effective than care in an institution.

LDH is in the process of soliciting public feedback on the proposed option design and will submit the appropriate documentation to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by September 1, 2020 for approval. The start date for the new option is contingent on CMS approval and the time it takes to set the new processes into place for implementation of the new program.

Click here to review the proposed option and submit comments. The deadline for public comment is August 10.

Virtual Public Forums

The public is invited to participate in virtual public forums to learn more about this proposed Medicaid option. A zoom link will be available on the LDH website, www.ldh.la.gov/act421, and the virtual public forums will be streamed live on the Louisiana Department of Health’s Facebook page.

• Wednesday, July 22, 2020
  11:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Monday, July 27, 2020
  4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

About the Louisiana Department of Health

The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state residents. The Louisiana Department of Health includes the Office of Public Health, Office of Aging & Adult Services, Office of Behavioral Health, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, and Healthy Louisiana (Medicaid). To learn visit www.ldh.la.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or our blog.