No. 38815 (Emergency Rule): Rule R414-310. Medicaid Primary Care Network Demonstration Waiver

DAR File No.: 38815
Filed: 08/26/2014 08:27:20 AM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

This emergency rule is necessary because the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recommend the Department enroll eligible refugees in the Refugee Medical Assistance program (RMA) instead of the Primary Care Network (PCN) to better serve the refugee population and to protect public health in the communities of Utah.

Summary of the rule or change:

This emergency rule clarifies that individuals who are eligible for RMA without a spenddown are not eligible for PCN. It also clarifies eligibility decisions and reviews for the RMA program at the time of application.

Emergency rule reason and justification:

Regular rulemaking procedures would cause an imminent peril to the public health, safety, or welfare; and cause an imminent budget reduction because of budget restraints or federal requirements; and place the agency in violation of federal or state law.

Justification: ORR and CMS recommend the Department enroll eligible refugees in the RMA program instead of PCN. This recommendation is based on the following: 1) PCN offers limited coverage to meet the medical needs of new refugees resettling in Utah; 2) PCN does not cover medical screenings to protect the public health of communities in Utah; and 3) PCN coverage of refugees creates a gap in health coverage between refugees enrolled in PCN versus refugees enrolled in Medicaid and RMA. The Department must follow this guidance to receive all federal funding for the RMA program, which is 100% federally funded. The Department will receive only a 70% federal match rate if it continues to enroll eligible refugees in PCN instead of RMA, and will incur more costs for its medical assistance programs.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Section 26-18-3
• Section 26-1-5

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

There is no impact to the state budget because the RMA program is 100% federally funded.

local governments:

There is no impact to local governments because they neither fund nor provide Medicaid and PCN services to Medicaid and PCN recipients.

small businesses:

There is no impact because this rule does not impose new costs or requirements on small businesses, and any increase or loss in revenue as a result of clients changing programs is negligible.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

There is no impact because this rule does not impose new costs or requirements on providers of Medicaid and PCN services, and any increase or loss in revenue as a result of clients changing programs is negligible. Some clients may see nominal savings with more available refugee services, but there is no data to estimate those savings at this time.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

There are no compliance costs because this rule does not impose new costs or requirements on a single provider of Medicaid or PCN services. Further, any loss in revenue to a single provider of these services is negligible.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

There will be no effect on business because the refugees will continue to receive coverage for their medical needs.

David Patton, PhD, Executive Director

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Health
Health Care Financing, Coverage and Reimbursement Policy
CANNON HEALTH BLDG
288 N 1460 W
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84116-3231

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Craig Devashrayee at the above address, by phone at 801-538-6641, by FAX at 801-538-6099, or by Internet E-mail at [e-mail]

This rule is effective on:

09/01/2014

Authorized by:

David Patton, Executive Director

RULE TEXT

R414. Health, Health Care Financing, Coverage and Reimbursement Policy.

R414-310. Medicaid Primary Care Network Demonstration Waiver.

R414-310-6. Creditable Health Coverage.

(1) The Department adopts and incorporates by reference 42 CFR 433.138(b) and 435.610, October 1, 2013 ed., and Section 1915(b) of the Compilation of the Social Security Laws, in effect January 1, 2013 .

(2) An applicant who is covered under a group health plan or other creditable health insurance coverage as defined in 29 CFR 2590.701-4, July 1, 2013 ed., is not eligible for enrollment in PCN. This includes coverage under student health insurance and the Veteran's Administration Health Care System.

(a) An individual who is enrolled in the Utah Health Insurance Pool or who can receive health coverage through Indian Health Services may enroll in PCN.

(b) An individual who could enroll in Medicare is not eligible for enrollment in PCN, even if the individual must wait for a Medicare open enrollment period to apply.

(c) An individual who is eligible to enroll in the VA Health Care System, but who has not yet enrolled, may be eligible for PCN as long as the individual applies for and takes all necessary steps to enroll. Eligibility for PCN ends once the individual's coverage in the VA Health Care System begins.

(d) Individuals who are full-time students and who can enroll in student health insurance coverage are not eligible to enroll in PCN.

(3) An individual is not eligible for PCN if the individual becomes eligible for Refugee Medical without a spenddown as defined in Section R414-303-10. An individual who is eligible for Refugee Medical with a spenddown may choose to enroll in either Refugee Medical or PCN.

([3]4) An individual who has access to but has not yet enrolled in employer-sponsored health insurance coverage through an employer or a spouse's employer is not eligible for PCN if the individual's cost for the least expensive health insurance plan offered by the employer directly, or for the employer's default plan offered through Avenue H, does not exceed 15% of the countable MAGI-based income for the individual's household.

(a) The cost of coverage includes a deductible if the employer-sponsored plan has a deductible.

(b) The eligibility agency will include in the cost of coverage for the spouse, the cost to enroll the employee, if the employee must be enrolled to enroll the spouse.

(c) The eligibility agency considers the individual to have access to coverage if the individual has had at least one opportunity to enroll

([4]5) An individual who voluntarily terminates health insurance coverage is ineligible to enroll in PCN for 180 days from the date the coverage ended. The eligibility agency [shall]may not apply a 180-day ineligibility period in the following situations:

(a) Voluntary termination of COBRA.

(b) Voluntary termination of Utah Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool coverage.

([5]6) To be eligible to enroll in PCN, the 180-day ineligibility period must end by the earlier of the following dates or the eligibility agency shall deny the application:

(a) the last day of the open enrollment period during which the individual applies for PCN; or

(b) the last day of the month that follows the month in which the individual applies for PCN, if the open enrollment period does not expire before that following month ends.

(c) Enrollment in PCN may not begin before the 180-day ineligibility period ends.

 

R414-310-11. Eligibility Decisions and Reviews.

(1) The Department adopts and incorporates by reference 42 CFR 435.911 and 435.912, October 1, 2013 ed., regarding eligibility determinations.

(2) At application and review, the eligibility agency shall determine whether the individual is eligible for Medicaid, Refugee Medical or CHIP.

(a) An individual who qualifies for Medicaid or Refugee Medical without paying a spenddown or a[n] Medicaid Work Incentive (MWI) premium [can]may not enroll in PCN.

(b) An applicant who is eligible for Medicaid, Refugee Medical or CHIP during the application month, or a Medicaid, Refugee Medical or CHIP recipient who requests PCN enrollment during an open enrollment period, may enroll in PCN in accordance with Subsection R414-310-12(1).

(3) An individual open on Medicaid, Refugee Medical or UPP may request to enroll in PCN.

(a) A new application form is not required.

(b) The rules in Section R414-310-12 govern the effective date of enrollment.

(c) If the individual is moving from UPP, the eligibility agency shall waive the open enrollment requirement if there is no break in coverage.

(d) If the individual is moving from Medicaid or Refugee Medical, the eligibility agency shall waive the open enrollment period if the individual was previously on PCN, became eligible for Medicaid or Refugee Medical, and requests to reenroll in PCN without a break in coverage.

(e) If the individual is moving from Medicaid or Refugee Medical and was not previously on PCN, or there has been a break in coverage of one or more months, the individual must reapply during an open enrollment period.

(f) All other eligibility requirements must be met.

(4) The eligibility agency shall complete an eligibility determination for each application unless:

(a) the applicant voluntarily withdraws the application and the eligibility agency sends a notice to the applicant to confirm the withdrawal;

(b) the applicant dies;

(c) the applicant cannot be located; or

(d) the applicant does not respond to requests for information within the 30-day application period or by the verification due date, if the verification date is later.

(5) The eligibility agency shall complete a periodic review of an enrollee's eligibility for medical assistance in accordance with the requirements of 42 CFR 435.916.

(a) The agency may request a recipient to contact the agency to complete the eligibility review.

(b) The agency shall provide the recipient a written request for verification needed to complete the review.

(c) The agency shall provide proper notice of an adverse decision.

(d) If the agency cannot provide proper notice of an adverse decision, the agency extends eligibility to the following month to allow for proper notice.

(6) If a recipient fails to respond to a request to complete the review or fails to provide all requested verification to complete the review, the eligibility agency shall end eligibility effective the end of the month for which the agency sends proper notice to the recipient.

(a) If the recipient contacts the agency to complete the review or returns all requested verification within three calendar months of the closure date, the eligibility agency shall treat such contact or receipt of verification as a new application. The agency may not require a new application form.

(b) The application processing period applies to this request to reapply.

(c) Eligibility can begin in the month the client contacts the agency to complete the review if all verification is received within the application processing period.

(d) If the recipient fails to return the verification timely, but before the end of the three calendar months, eligibility becomes effective the first day of the month in which all verification is provided and the individual is found eligible.

(e) The eligibility agency may not continue eligibility while it makes a new eligibility determination.

(f) The eligibility agency shall waive the open enrollment requirement during these three calendar months.

(g) If the enrollee does not respond to the request to complete the review for PCN during the three calendar months immediately following the review closure date, the enrollee must reapply for PCN and meet all eligibility criteria.

(7) If the individual files a new application or makes a request to reenroll within the calendar month that follows the effective closure date when the closure is for a reason other than incomplete review, the eligibility agency shall waive the open enrollment period and process the request as a new application.

(8) The enrollee must reapply if the case closes for one or more calendar months for any reason other than an incomplete review.

(9) The eligibility agency shall comply with the requirements of 42 CFR 435.1200(e), regarding transfer of the electronic file for the purpose of determining eligibility for other insurance affordability programs.

 

KEY: Medicaid, primary care, demonstration

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: September 1, 2014

Notice of Continuation: June 4, 2012

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 26-18-1; 26-1-5; 26-18-3

 

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