An Act Regarding Asset Tests for Social Services Programs
Sec. 1. 19-A MRSA §2302, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2011, c. 550, §1, is further amended to read:
A debt previously incurred under section 2301 may not be collected from a responsible parent while that parent is an assisted obligor , except that such a debt may be collected from nonrecurring lump sum income, as defined in Title 22, section 3762, subsection 11, paragraph A, of a responsible parent while that parent is an assisted obligor.
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §254-D, sub-§4, ¶B, as amended by PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. TT, §1, is further amended to read:
(1) Is a legal resident of the State;
(2) Meets the income eligibility criteria set forth in this section or is eligible for both MaineCare and Medicare Part D;
(3) Does not receive full MaineCare pharmaceutical benefits; and
(4) Is at least 62 years of age, or is 19 years of age or older and determined to be disabled by the standards of the federal social security program. A person who was eligible for the program at any time from August 1, 1998 to July 31, 1999 and who does not meet the requirements of this subparagraph at the time of application or renewal retains eligibility for the program if that person is a member of a household of an eligible person ; and .
(5) Does not have more than $50,000 individually or more than $75,000 per couple in liquid assets.
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §3104, sub-§13, as corrected by RR 2015, c. 1, §20, is repealed.
Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §3104, sub-§13-A is enacted to read:
Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §3104, sub-§18 is enacted to read:
Sec. 6. 22 MRSA §3762, sub-§11, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §16, is repealed.
Sec. 7. 22 MRSA §3762, sub-§11-A is enacted to read:
Sec. 8. Asset test removed for the Medicare savings program; state plan amendment. The Department of Health and Human Services shall amend its rules, no later than July 1, 2020, to remove the asset test from the requirements of eligibility for the Medicare savings program. The department shall prepare and submit any necessary Medicaid state plan amendments to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for approval for the removal of the asset test required by this section.
summary
This bill implements the recommendations of the stakeholder group established pursuant to Resolve 2019, chapter 41. The bill removes the asset tests for the elderly low-cost drug program, the Medicare savings program, the statewide food supplement program and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to the extent allowable under federal law.