129th MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 775 LR 625(05)
Resolve, To Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services To Amend Its Rules for Eligibility for Community Support Services
Fiscal Note for Bill as Engrossed with:
C "A" (H-403)
H "A" (H-699) to C "A" (H-403)
Committee: Health and Human Services
             
Fiscal Note
Potential current biennium cost increase - General Fund
Potential current biennium cost increase - Federal Expenditures Fund
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to amend eligiblity criteria under Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter III, Section 17, Allowances for Community Support Services. The eligibility changes the department might make are not outlined in the bill; rather the department is given multiple considerations it can include in the eligiblity assessment of an individual. These changes should add back some eligible individuals for coverage under this section of policy who were removed in February of 2016 with no baseline deappropriation. As there was no deappropriation when eligiblity changes were made in February 2016, some of the costs associated with the changes in this bill will not require new appropriations. However, as the specific requirements for being eligible will not be known until the department updates the eligiblity process, it is possible some individuals who were not eligible in February 2016 will become eligible now and new appropriations and allocations will be required. It is not known how many new individuals will be eligible for this service, so no estimate of the new costs is made at this time.