HB 13 — An Act requiring the Department of Health and Social Services to apply for a waiver to establish work requirements for certain adults who are eligible for the state medical assistance program.

Bill Text

• HB0013A View text Current html

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The bill mandates the Department of Health and Social Services to apply for a waiver to impose work requirements on certain adults receiving state medical assistance.

• AS 47.07.036

  (h) The department shall apply for a section 1115 waiver under 42 U.S.C. 1315 to establish a work requirement for adults who are eligible for medical assistance under AS 47.07.020 and who do not meet the criteria for an exemption described in (3) of this subsection. The application for the waiver must include a plan to (1) require a recipient subject to the work requirement to demonstrate, as a condition of eligibility for medical assistance, that the recipient is participating in work activities for a minimum of 20 hours each week by submitting proof of employment or, if the recipient is not employed, proof that the recipient is actively seeking employment, participating in an educational or training program intended to lead to employment, volunteering, engaging in subsistence activities, or caregiving; (2) allow a recipient to meet the work requirement described in this subsection by demonstrating that the recipient participates in the Alaska temporary assistance program and is in compliance with the work activities requirement described in AS 47.27.035; (3) exempt a recipient from the work requirement described in this subsection only if the recipient is (A) under 18 years of age or 65 years of age or older; (B) the parent or caretaker of a dependent child of up to 12 months of age and the parent or caretaker is providing home care for the child; (C) the parent or caretaker of a child experiencing a disability and the parent or caretaker is providing home care for the child; (D) the caretaker of a relative who is experiencing a disability and requires 24-hour care; (E) the parent or caretaker of a child under six years of age and the parent or caretaker demonstrates that appropriate child care is not available; (F) unable to work for medical reasons, as determined by a licensed medical professional; (G) pregnant; (H) currently receiving unemployment insurance benefits; or (I) participating in a tribal work program; (4) temporarily exempt a recipient from the work requirement described in this subsection only if the recipient is (A) experiencing a family hardship outside of the control of the parent or caretaker, such as a death in the family or an immediate crisis, for the duration of the hardship; or (B) a victim of domestic violence; (5) ensure that the work requirement does not prevent a recipient with a substance abuse disorder from obtaining appropriate treatment for the substance abuse disorder; and (6) notify all medical assistance recipients of the work requirement as soon as practicable if the waiver is approved and, not less than 90 days after providing notice of the work requirement, terminate medical assistance coverage for recipients who become ineligible as a result of noncompliance with the work requirement.

  This addition creates a new requirement for the state to apply for a waiver that would impose work requirements for eligible medical assistance recipients.

Action History

1. March 11, 2020

   (H) COSPONSOR(S): JOHNSON

2. March 22, 2019

   (H) COSPONSOR(S): RASMUSSEN

3. March 15, 2019

   (H) COSPONSOR(S): JACKSON

4. February 20, 2019

   (H) Referred to HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

5. February 20, 2019

   (H) HSS, L&C, FIN

6. February 20, 2019

   (H) Read the first time - REFERRALS

7. February 20, 2019

   (H) Prefile released 1/7/19

Sponsors

• Jackson · Cosponsor
• Rasmussen · Cosponsor
• DeLena Johnson · Cosponsor
• Chuck Kopp · Primary

Subjects