PR 25-0700 — District of Columbia Health Care Alliance Financial Eligibility Rulemaking Approval Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2024

MarchENROLLED 29,ORIGINAL 2024A TheRESOLUTION Honorable25-487 PhilIN MendelsonTHE ChairmanCOUNCIL CouncilOF ofTHE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA April 2, 2024 To declare the Districtexistence of Columbiaan Johnemergency A.with respect to the need to approve proposed final rules submitted to the Council to update financial eligibility requirements and standards on eligibility determinations for the DC Healthcare Alliance program.

WilsonRESOLVED, BuildingBY PennsylvaniaTHE Avenue,COUNCIL N.W.,OF SuiteTHE 504DISTRICT Washington,OF D.C.COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Health Care Alliance Financial Eligibility Rulemaking Approval Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2024”.

20004 Dear Chairman Mendelson:

Enclosed for consideration and enactment by the Council of the District of Columbia is the “District of Columbia Healthcare Alliance Financial Eligibility Rulemaking Approval Emergency Act of 2024”, along with an accompanying emergency declaration resolution.

The legislation will approve proposed final rules of the Department of Health Care Finance (“DHCF”) regarding the operation of the DC Healthcare Alliance program that will update the modified adjusted gross income financial methodology and increase the reasonable compatibility standard for verifying electronic data sources when an individual attests to their financial information.

These changes will provide more room for errors that may be no fault of applicants or beneficiaries, and create a more streamlined and efficient automation of application and renewal processing that will reduce the risk of eligible Alliance beneficiaries losing health coverage.

If you have any questions regarding the proposed legislation, please contact Chief of Staff, DHCF, Melanie Williamson, at (202) 478-5809.

I urge the Council to take prompt and favorable action on the legislation.

Sincerely, Muriel Bowser ~ ;

? ? " ~ Chairman Phil Mendelson at the requestthe Mayor 5 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 8 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA To declare the existence ofan emergency with respect to the need to approve proposed final rules submitted to the Council pursuant to section 7a ofthe Health Care Privatization Amendment Act of 2001 to provide for implementation ofupdated financial eligibility requirements and standards on eligibility determinations for the DC Healthcare Alliance program.

RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the "District of Columbia Health Care Alliance Financial Eligibility Rulemaking Approval Emergency Declaration Resolution of2024".

(a) There is an immediate need to approve proposed final rules oftheof the Department ofHealthof Health Care Finance regarding the DC Health Care Alliance ("Alliance")(“Alliance”) program.

(b) Pursuant to section 7a oftheof the Health Care Privatization Amendment Act of 20012001, ("Act"), effective March 30, 2004 (D.C.

Official Code§Code 7-1406),§ 7-1406) (“Act”), the Council must approve, by act, proposed final rules that implement the Act,Act. which established the Health Care Safety Net Administration, which administers the Alliance program.

(c) The Department ofHealthof Health Care Finance in March 2023 issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to update its rules governing Alliance program eligibility to create parity with certain Medicaid eligibility requirements and processes, including most of the Medicaid modified adjusted gross income (“MAGI”) financial methodology.

(d) The rule changes the financial eligibility methodology to further align with policy changes to the MAGI financial methodology by incorporating federal legislative changes, which will further streamline the eligibility processes.process.

(e)(f) Approval on an emergency basis is necessary to reduce barriers to District residents establishing and continuing Alliance program eligibility.

The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the DCDistrict of Columbia Health Care Alliance ENROLLED ORIGINAL Financial Eligibility Rulemaking Approval Emergency Act of 2024 be adopted after a single reading.

Effective date.