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ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL 2230
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Passed Legislature - 2001 2nd
Special Session
State of Washington 57th Legislature 2001
Regular Session
By
Read first time 04/02/2001. Referred to
Committee on Health Care.
Revising state health
and employment support benefits for incapacitated or disabled individuals.
AN ACT Relating to
state health and employment support benefits for incapacitated or disabled
individuals; reenacting and amending RCW 74.09.510; adding a new section to
chapter 74.09 RCW; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec.
1. The legislature finds
that individuals with disabilities face many barriers and disincentives to
employment. Individuals with disabilities are often unable to obtain health
insurance that provides the services and supports necessary to allow them to
live independently and enter or rejoin the work force. The legislature finds
that there is a compelling public interest in eliminating barriers to work by
continuing needed health care coverage for individuals with disabilities who
enter and maintain employment.
The legislature intends
to strengthen the state's policy of supporting individuals with disabilities in
leading fully productive lives by supporting the implementation of the federal
ticket to work and work incentives improvement act of 1999, Public Law 106-170.
This shall include improving incentives to work by continuing coverage for
health care and support services, by seeking federal funding for innovative
programs, and by exploring options which provide individuals with disabilities
a choice in receiving services needed to obtain and maintain employment.
NEW SECTION. Sec.
2. A new section is added
to chapter 74.09 RCW to read as follows:
(1) It is the intent of
the legislature to remove barriers to employment for individuals with
disabilities by providing medical assistance to the working disabled through a
buy-in program in accordance with section 1902(a)(10)(A)(ii) of the social
security act and eligibility and cost-sharing requirements established by the
department.
(2) The department
shall establish income, resource, and cost-sharing requirements for the buy-in
program in accordance with federal law and any conditions or limitations specified
in the omnibus appropriations act. The department shall establish and modify
eligibility and cost-sharing requirements in order to administer the program
within available funds. The department shall make every effort to coordinate
benefits with employer-sponsored coverage available to the working disabled
receiving benefits under this chapter.
Sec. 3. RCW 74.09.510 and 1997 c
58 s 201 and 1997 c 59 s 14 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
Medical assistance may
be provided in accordance with eligibility requirements established by the
department, as defined in the social security Title XIX state plan for
mandatory categorically needy persons and: (1) Individuals who would be
eligible for cash assistance except for their institutional status; (2)
individuals who are under twenty-one years of age, who would be eligible for
temporary assistance for needy families, but do not qualify as dependent
children and who are in (a) foster care, (b) subsidized adoption, (c) a nursing
facility or an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, or (d)
inpatient psychiatric facilities; (3) the aged, blind, and disabled who: (a)
Receive only a state supplement, or (b) would not be eligible for cash
assistance if they were not institutionalized; (4) categorically eligible
individuals who meet the income and resource requirements of the cash
assistance programs; (5) individuals who are enrolled in managed health care
systems, who have otherwise lost eligibility for medical assistance, but who
have not completed a current six-month enrollment in a managed health care
system, and who are eligible for federal financial participation under Title
XIX of the social security act; (6) children and pregnant women allowed by
federal statute for whom funding is appropriated; (7) working individuals
with disabilities authorized under section 1902(a)(10)(A)(ii) of the social
security act for whom funding is appropriated; (8) other individuals
eligible for medical services under RCW 74.09.035 and 74.09.700 for whom
federal financial participation is available under Title XIX of the social
security act; and (((8))) (9) persons allowed by section 1931 of
the social security act for whom funding is appropriated.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 4. If specific funding for
the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is
not provided by June 30, 2001, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is
null and void.
