Senate Committee Passes Bill Restricting Retroactive Eligibility for Medicaid

An FCCB opposed bill that makes permanent a change in the retroactive eligibility of Medicaid was passed (6-4) by the Senate Health Policy Committee. SB 192 would cement a policy, which became active February 1, that restricts the period patients are eligible for Medicaid coverage to the calendar month before their application. The prior policy, which the Legislature changed last year as a cost cutting measure, allowed Medicaid coverage up to three months before the date individuals applied for coverage. The change disproportionately impacts the poor, people with disabilities and seniors, particularly those in nursing homes who rely on Medicaid to help cover the cost of their long-term care. It is estimated that this change would affect about 11,500 Floridians