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42 U.S. Code § 1396a. State plans for medical assistance
(a) ContentsA State plan for medical assistance must—
(1)
provide that it shall be in effect in all political subdivisions of the State, and, if administered by them, be mandatory upon them;
(2)
provide for financial participation by the State equal to not less than 40 per centum of the non-Federal share of the expenditures under the plan with respect to which payments under section 1396b of this title are authorized by this subchapter; and, effective July 1, 1969, provide for financial participation by the State equal to all of such non-Federal share or provide for distribution of funds from Federal or State sources, for carrying out the State plan, on an equalization or other basis which will assure that the lack of adequate funds from local sources will not result in lowering the amount, duration, scope, or quality of care and services available under the plan;
(3)
provide for granting an opportunity for a fair hearing before the State agency to any individual whose claim for medical assistance under the plan is denied or is not acted upon with reasonable promptness;
(4)
provide (A) such methods of administration (including methods relating to the establishment and maintenance of personnel standards on a merit basis, except that the Secretary shall exercise no authority with respect to the selection, tenure of office, and compensation of any individual employed in accordance with such methods, including provision for utilization of professional medical personnel in the administration and, where administered locally, supervision of administration of the plan, and, subject to section 1396b(i) of this title, including a specification that the single State agency described in paragraph (5) will ensure necessary transportation for beneficiaries under the State plan to and from providers and a description of the methods that such agency will use to ensure such transportation) as are found by the Secretary to be necessary for the proper and efficient operation of the plan, (B) for the training and effective use of paid subprofessional staff, with particular emphasis on the full-time or part-time employment of recipients and other persons of low income, as community service aides, in the administration of the plan and for the use of nonpaid or partially paid volunteers in a social service volunteer program in providing services to applicants and recipients and in assisting any advisory committees established by the State agency, (C) that each State or local officer, employee, or independent contractor who is responsible for the expenditure of substantial amounts of funds under the State plan, each individual who formerly was such an officer, employee, or contractor, and each partner of such an officer, employee, or contractor shall be prohibited from committing any act, in relation to any activity under the plan, the commission of which, in connection with any activity concerning the United States Government, by an officer or employee of the United States Government, an individual who was such an officer or employee, or a partner of such an officer or employee is prohibited by section 207 or 208 of title 18, and (D) that each State or local officer, employee, or independent contractor who is responsible for selecting, awarding, or otherwise obtaining items and services under the State plan shall be subject to safeguards against conflicts of interest that are at least as stringent as the safeguards that apply under chapter 21 of title 41 to persons described in section 2102(a)(3) of title 41;
(5)
either provide for the establishment or designation of a single State agency to administer or to supervise the administration of the plan; or provide for the establishment or designation of a single State agency to administer or to supervise the administration of the plan, except that the determination of eligibility for medical assistance under the plan shall be made by the State or local agency administering the State plan approved under subchapter I or XVI (insofar as it relates to the aged) if the State is eligible to participate in the State plan program established under subchapter XVI, or by the agency or agencies administering the supplemental security income program established under subchapter XVI or the State plan approved under part A of subchapter IV if the State is not eligible to participate in the State plan program established under subchapter XVI;
(6)
provide that the State agency will make such reports, in such form and containing such information, as the Secretary may from time to time require, and comply with such provisions as the Secretary may from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports;
(7) provide—
(A) safeguards which restrict the use or disclosure of information concerning applicants and recipients to purposes directly connected with—
(i)
the administration of the plan; and
(ii)
the exchange of information necessary to certify or verify the certification of eligibility of children for free or reduced price breakfasts under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 [42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.] and free or reduced price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act [42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.], in accordance with section 9(b) of that Act [42 U.S.C. 1758(b)], using data standards and formats established by the State agency; and
(B) that, notwithstanding the Express Lane option under subsection (e)(13), the State may enter into an agreement with the State agency administering the school lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act under which the State shall establish procedures to ensure that—
(i)
a child receiving medical assistance under the State plan under this subchapter whose family income does not exceed 133 percent of the poverty line (as defined in section 9902(2) of this title, including any revision required by such section), as determined without regard to any expense, block, or other income disregard, applicable to a family of the size involved, may be certified as eligible for free lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and free breakfasts under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 without further application; and
(ii)
the State agencies responsible for administering the State plan under this subchapter, and for carrying out the school lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) or the school breakfast program established by section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773), cooperate in carrying out paragraphs (3)(F) and (15) of section 9(b) of that Act [42 U.S.C. 1758(b)];
(8)
provide that all individuals wishing to make application for medical assistance under the plan shall have opportunity to do so, and that such assistance shall be furnished with reasonable promptness to all eligible individuals;
(9) provide—
(A)
that the State health agency, or other appropriate State medical agency (whichever is utilized by the Secretary for the purpose specified in the first sentence of section 1395aa(a) of this title), shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining health standards for private or public institutions in which recipients of medical assistance under the plan may receive care or services,
(B)
for the establishment or designation of a State authority or authorities which shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining standards, other than those relating to health, for such institutions,
(C)
that any laboratory services paid for under such plan must be provided by a laboratory which meets the applicable requirements of section 1395x(e)(9) of this title or paragraphs (16) and (17) of section 1395x(s) of this title, or, in the case of a laboratory which is in a rural health clinic, of section 1395x(aa)(2)(G) of this title, and
(D)
that the State maintain a consumer-oriented website providing useful information to consumers regarding all skilled nursing facilities and all nursing facilities in the State, including for each facility, Form 2567 State inspection reports (or a successor form), complaint investigation reports, the facility’s plan of correction, and such other information that the State or the Secretary considers useful in assisting the public to assess the quality of long term care options and the quality of care provided by individual facilities;
(10) provide—
(A) for making medical assistance available, including at least the care and services listed in paragraphs (1) through (5), (13)(B), (17), (21), (28), (29), and (30) of section 1396d(a) of this title, to—
(i) all individuals—
(I)
who are receiving aid or assistance under any plan of the State approved under subchapter I, X, XIV, or XVI, or part A or part E of subchapter IV (including individuals eligible under this subchapter by reason of section 602(a)(37),[1] 606(h), or 673(b) of this title, or considered by the State to be receiving such aid as authorized under section 682(e)(6) of this title),
(II)
(aa)
with respect to whom supplemental security income benefits are being paid under subchapter XVI (or were being paid as of the date of the enactment of section 211(a) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104–193) and would continue to be paid but for the enactment of that section), (bb) who are qualified severely impaired individuals (as defined in section 1396d(q) of this title), or (cc) who are under 21 years of age and with respect to whom supplemental security income benefits would be paid under subchapter XVI if subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 1382(c)(7) of this title were applied without regard to the phrase “the first day of the month following”,
(III)
who are qualified pregnant women or children as defined in section 1396d(n) of this title,
(IV)
who are described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (l)(1) and whose family income does not exceed the minimum income level the State is required to establish under subsection (l)(2)(A) for such a family; [2]
(V)
who are qualified family members as defined in section 1396d(m)(1) of this title,
(VI)
who are described in subparagraph (C) of subsection (l)(1) and whose family income does not exceed the income level the State is required to establish under subsection (l)(2)(B) for such a family,
(VII)
who are described in subparagraph (D) of subsection (l)(1) and whose family income does not exceed the income level the State is required to establish under subsection (l)(2)(C) for such a family; 2
(VIII)
beginning January 1, 2014, who are under 65 years of age, not pregnant, not entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under part A of subchapter XVIII, or enrolled for benefits under part B of subchapter XVIII, and are not described in a previous subclause of this clause, and whose income (as determined under subsection (e)(14)) does not exceed 133 percent of the poverty line (as defined in section 1397jj(c)(5) of this title) applicable to a family of the size involved, subject to subsection (k); 2 or
(IX) who—
(aa)
are under 26 years of age;
(bb)
are not described in and are not enrolled under any of subclauses (I) through (VII) of this clause or are described in any of such subclauses but have income that exceeds the level of income applicable under the State plan for eligibility to enroll for medical assistance under such subclause;
(cc)
were in foster care under the responsibility of a State on the date of attaining 18 years of age or such higher age as the State has elected under section 675(8)(B)(iii) of this title; and
(dd)
were enrolled in a State plan under this subchapter or under a waiver of such a plan while in such foster care; [3]
(ii) at the option of the State, to [4] any group or groups of individuals described in section 1396d(a) of this title (or, in the case of individuals described in section 1396d(a)(i) of this title, to any reasonable categories of such individuals) who are not individuals described in clause (i) of this subparagraph but—
(I)
who meet the income and resources requirements of the appropriate State plan described in clause (i) or the supplemental security income program (as the case may be),
(II)
who would meet the income and resources requirements of the appropriate State plan described in clause (i) if their work-related child care costs were paid from their earnings rather than by a State agency as a service expenditure,
(III)
who would be eligible to receive aid under the appropriate State plan described in clause (i) if coverage under such plan was as broad as allowed under Federal law,
(IV)
with respect to whom there is being paid, or who are eligible, or would be eligible if they were not in a medical institution, to have paid with respect to them, aid or assistance under the appropriate State plan described in clause (i), supplemental security income benefits under subchapter XVI, or a State supplementary payment; 2
(V)
who are in a medical institution for a period of not less than 30 consecutive days (with eligibility by reason of this subclause beginning on the first day of such period), who meet the resource requirements of the appropriate State plan described in clause (i) or the supplemental security income program, and whose income does not exceed a separate income standard established by the State which is consistent with the limit established under section 1396b(f)(4)(C) of this title,
(VI)
who would be eligible under the State plan under this subchapter if they were in a medical institution, with respect to whom there has been a determination that but for the provision of home or community-based services described in subsection (c), (d), or (e) of section 1396n of this title they would require the level of care provided in a hospital, nursing facility or intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded the cost of which could be reimbursed under the State plan, and who will receive home or community-based services pursuant to a waiver granted by the Secretary under subsection (c), (d), or (e) of section 1396n of this title,
(VII)
who would be eligible under the State plan under this subchapter if they were in a medical institution, who are terminally ill, and who will receive hospice care pursuant to a voluntary election described in section 1396d(o) of this title; 2
(VIII) who is a child described in section 1396d(a)(i) of this title—
(aa)
for whom there is in effect an adoption assistance agreement (other than an agreement under part E of subchapter IV) between the State and an adoptive parent or parents,
(bb)
who the State agency responsible for adoption assistance has determined cannot be placed with adoptive parents without medical assistance because such child has special needs for medical or rehabilitative care, and
(cc)
who was eligible for medical assistance under the State plan prior to the adoption assistance agreement being entered into, or who would have been eligible for medical assistance at such time if the eligibility standards and methodologies of the State’s foster care program under part E of subchapter IV were applied rather than the eligibility standards and methodologies of the State’s aid to families with dependent children program under part A of subchapter IV; 2
(IX)
who are described in subsection (l)(1) and are not described in clause (i)(IV), clause (i)(VI), or clause (i)(VII); 2
(X)
who are described in subsection (m)(1); 2
(XI)
who receive only an optional State supplementary payment based on need and paid on a regular basis, equal to the difference between the individual’s countable income and the income standard used to determine eligibility for such supplementary payment (with countable income being the income remaining after deductions as established by the State pursuant to standards that may be more restrictive than the standards for supplementary security income benefits under subchapter XVI), which are available to all individuals in the State (but which may be based on different income standards by political subdivision according to cost of living differences), and which are paid by a State that does not have an agreement with the Commissioner of Social Security under section 1382e or 1383c of this title; 2
(XII)
who are described in subsection (z)(1) (relating to certain TB-infected individuals); 2
(XIII)
who are in families whose income is less than 250 percent of the income official poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with section 9902(2) of this title) applicable to a family of the size involved, and who but for earnings in excess of the limit established under section 1396d(q)(2)(B) of this title, would be considered to be receiving supplemental security income (subject, notwithstanding section 1396o of this title, to payment of premiums or other cost-sharing charges (set on a sliding scale based on income) that the State may determine); 2
(XIV)
who are optional targeted low-income children described in section 1396d(u)(2)(B) of this title; 2
(XV)
who, but for earnings in excess of the limit established under section 1396d(q)(2)(B) of this title, would be considered to be receiving supplemental security income, who is at least 16, but less than 65, years of age, and whose assets, resources, and earned or unearned income (or both) do not exceed such limitations (if any) as the State may establish; 2
(XVI)
who are employed individuals with a medically improved disability described in section 1396d(v)(1) of this title and whose assets, resources, and earned or unearned income (or both) do not exceed such limitations (if any) as the State may establish, but only if the State provides medical assistance to individuals described in subclause (XV); 2
(XVII)
who are independent foster care adolescents (as defined in section 1396d(w)(1) of this title), or who are within any reasonable categories of such adolescents specified by the State; 2
(XVIII)
who are described in subsection (aa) (relating to certain breast or cervical cancer patients); 2
(XIX)
who are disabled children described in subsection (cc)(1); 2
(XX)
beginning January 1, 2014, who are under 65 years of age and are not described in or enrolled under a previous subclause of this clause, and whose income (as determined under subsection (e)(14)) exceeds 133 percent of the poverty line (as defined in section 1397jj(c)(5) of this title) applicable to a family of the size involved but does not exceed the highest income eligibility level established under the State plan or under a waiver of the plan, subject to subsection (hh); 2
(XXI)
who are described in subsection (ii) (relating to individuals who meet certain income standards); 2
(XXII)
who are eligible for home and community-based services under needs-based criteria established under paragraph (1)(A) of section 1396n(i) of this title, or who are eligible for home and community-based services under paragraph (6) of such section, and who will receive home and community-based services pursuant to a State plan amendment under such subsection; 2 or
(XXIII)
during any portion of the emergency period defined in paragraph (1)(B) of section 1320b–5(g) of this title beginning on or after March 18, 2020, who are uninsured individuals (as defined in subsection (ss));
(B) that the medical assistance made available to any individual described in subparagraph (A)—
(i)
shall not be less in amount, duration, or scope than the medical assistance made available to any other such individual, and
(ii)
shall not be less in amount, duration, or scope than the medical assistance made available to individuals not described in subparagraph (A);
(C) that if medical assistance is included for any group of individuals described in section 1396d(a) of this title who are not described in subparagraph (A) or (E), then—
(i)
the plan must include a description of (I) the criteria for determining eligibility of individuals in the group for such medical assistance, (II) the amount, duration, and scope of medical assistance made available to individuals in the group, and (III) the single standard to be employed in determining income and resource eligibility for all such groups, and the methodology to be employed in determining such eligibility, which shall be no more restrictive than the methodology which would be employed under the supplemental security income program in the case of groups consisting of aged, blind, or disabled individuals in a State in which such program is in effect, and which shall be no more restrictive than the methodology which would be employed under the appropriate State plan (described in subparagraph (A)(i)) to which such group is most closely categorically related in the case of other groups;
(ii) the plan must make available medical assistance—
(I)
to individuals under the age of 18 who (but for income and resources) would be eligible for medical assistance as an individual described in subparagraph (A)(i), and
(II)
to pregnant women, during the course of their pregnancy, who (but for income and resources) would be eligible for medical assistance as an individual described in subparagraph (A);
(iii)
such medical assistance must include (I) with respect to children under 18 and individuals entitled to institutional services, ambulatory services, and (II) with respect to pregnant women, prenatal care and delivery services; and
(iv)
if such medical assistance includes services in institutions for mental diseases or in an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded (or both) for any such group, it also must include for all groups covered at least the care and services listed in paragraphs (1) through (5), (13)(B), and (17) of section 1396d(a) of this title or the care and services listed in any 7 of the paragraphs numbered (1) through (24) of such section;
(D)
for the inclusion of home health services for any individual who, under the State plan, is entitled to nursing facility services;
(E)
(i)
for making medical assistance available for medicare cost-sharing (as defined in section 1396d(p)(3) of this title) for qualified medicare beneficiaries described in section 1396d(p)(1) of this title;
(ii)
for making medical assistance available for payment of medicare cost-sharing described in section 1396d(p)(3)(A)(i) of this title for qualified disabled and working individuals described in section 1396d(s) of this title;
(iii)
for making medical assistance available for medicare cost sharing described in section 1396d(p)(3)(A)(ii) of this title subject to section 1396d(p)(4) of this title, for individuals who would be qualified medicare beneficiaries described in section 1396d(p)(1) of this title (including such individuals enrolled under section 1395o(b) of this title) but for the fact that their income exceeds the income level established by the State under section 1396d(p)(2) of this title but is less than 110 percent in 1993 and 1994, and 120 percent in 1995 and years thereafter of the official poverty line (referred to in such section) for a family of the size involved; and
(iv)
subject to sections 1396u–3 and 1396d(p)(4) of this title, for making medical assistance available for medicare cost-sharing described in section 1396d(p)(3)(A)(ii) of this title for individuals who would be qualified medicare beneficiaries described in section 1396d(p)(1) of this title (including such individuals enrolled under section 1395o(b) of this title) but for the fact that their income exceeds the income level established by the State under section 1396d(p)(2) of this title and is at least 120 percent, but less than 135 percent, of the official poverty line (referred to in such section) for a family of the size involved and who are not otherwise eligible for medical assistance under the State plan;
(F)
at the option of a State, for making medical assistance available for COBRA premiums (as defined in subsection (u)(2)) for qualified COBRA continuation beneficiaries described in subsection (u)(1); and
(G)
that, in applying eligibility criteria of the supplemental security income program under subchapter XVI for purposes of determining eligibility for medical assistance under the State plan of an individual who is not receiving supplemental security income, the State will disregard the provisions of subsections (c) and (e) of section 1382b of this title;
except that (I) the making available of the services described in paragraph (4), (14), or (16) of section 1396d(a) of this title to individuals meeting the age requirements prescribed therein shall not, by reason of this paragraph (10), require the making available of any such services, or the making available of such services of the same amount, duration, and scope, to individuals of any other ages, (II) the making available of supplementary medical insurance benefits under part B of subchapter XVIII to individuals eligible therefor (either pursuant to an agreement entered into under section 1395v of this title or by reason of the payment of premiums under such subchapter by the State agency on behalf of such individuals), or provision for meeting part or all of the cost of deductibles, cost sharing, or similar charges under part B of subchapter XVIII for individuals eligible for benefits under such part, shall not, by reason of this paragraph (10), require the making available of any such benefits, or the making available of services of the same amount, duration, and scope, to any other individuals, (III) the making available of medical assistance equal in amount, duration, and scope to the medical assistance made available to individuals described in clause (A) to any classification of individuals approved by the Secretary with respect to whom there is being paid, or who are eligible, or would be eligible if they were not in a medical institution, to have paid with respect to them, a State supplementary payment shall not, by reason of this paragraph (10), require the making available of any such assistance, or the making available of such assistance of the same amount, duration, and scope, to any other individuals not described in clause (A), (IV) the imposition of a deductible, cost sharing, or similar charge for any item or service furnished to an individual not eligible for the exemption under section 1396o(a)(2) or (b)(2) of this title shall not require the imposition of a deductible, cost sharing, or similar charge for the same item or service furnished to an individual who is eligible for such exemption, (V) the making available to pregnant women covered under the plan of services relating to pregnancy (including prenatal, delivery, and postpartum services) or to any other condition which may complicate pregnancy shall not, by reason of this paragraph (10), require the making available of such services, or the making available of such services of the same amount, duration, and scope, to any other individuals, provided such services are made available (in the same amount, duration, and scope) to all pregnant women covered under the State plan, (VI) with respect to the making available of medical assistance for hospice care to terminally ill individuals who have made a voluntary election described in section 1396d(o) of this title to receive hospice care instead of medical assistance for certain other services, such assistance may not be made available in an amount, duration, or scope less than that provided under subchapter XVIII, and the making available of such assistance shall not, by reason of this paragraph (10), require the making available of medical assistance for hospice care to other individuals or the making available of medical assistance for services waived by such terminally ill individuals, (VII) the medical assistance made available to an individual described in subsection (l)(1)(A) who is eligible for medical assistance only because of subparagraph (A)(i)(IV) or (A)(ii)(IX) shall be limited to medical assistance for services related to pregnancy (including prenatal, delivery, postpartum, and family planning services), medical assistance for services related to other conditions which may complicate pregnancy, and medical assistance for vaccines described in section 1396d(a)(4)(E) of this title and the administration of such vaccines during the period described in such section, (VIII), medical assistance for services related to other conditions which may complicate pregnancy, and medical assistance for vaccines described in section 1396d(a)(4)(E) of this title and the administration of such vaccines during the period described in such section, (VIII) the medical assistance made available to a qualified medicare beneficiary described in section 1396d(p)(1) of this title who is only entitled to medical assistance because the individual is such a beneficiary shall be limited to medical assistance for medicare cost-sharing (described in section 1396d(p)(3) of this title), subject to the provisions of subsection (n) and section 1396o(b) of this title, (IX) the making available of respiratory care services in accordance with subsection (e)(9) shall not, by reason of this paragraph (10), require the making available of such services, or the making available of such services of the same amount, duration, and scope, to any individuals not included under subsection (e)(9)(A), provided such services are made available (in the same amount, duration, and scope) to all individuals described in such subsection, (X) if the plan provides for any fixed durational limit on medical assistance for inpatient hospital services (whether or not such a limit varies by medical condition or diagnosis), the plan must establish exceptions to such a limit for medically necessary inpatient hospital services furnished with respect to individuals under one year of age in a hospital defined under the State plan, pursuant to section 1396r–4(a)(1)(A) of this title, as a disproportionate share hospital and subparagraph (B) (relating to comparability) shall not be construed as requiring such an exception for other individuals, services, or hospitals, (XI) the making available of medical assistance to cover the costs of premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and other cost-sharing obligations for certain individuals for private health coverage as described in section 1396e of this title shall not, by reason of paragraph (10), require the making available of any such benefits or the making available of services of the same amount, duration, and scope of such private coverage to any other individuals, (XII) the medical assistance made available to an individual described in subsection (u)(1) who is eligible for medical assistance only because of subparagraph (F) shall be limited to medical assistance for COBRA continuation premiums (as defined in subsection (u)(2)), (XIII) the medical assistance made available to an individual described in subsection (z)(1) who is eligible for medical assistance only because of subparagraph (A)(ii)(XII) shall be limited to medical assistance for TB-related services (described in subsection (z)(2)) and medical assistance for vaccines described in section 1396d(a)(4)(E) of this title and the administration of such vaccines during the period described in such section, (XIV) the medical assistance made available to an individual described in subsection (aa) who is eligible for medical assistance only because of subparagraph (A)(10)(ii)(XVIII) shall be limited to medical assistance provided during the period in which such an individual requires treatment for breast or cervical cancer [5] (XV) the medical assistance made available to an individual described in subparagraph (A)(i)(VIII) shall be limited to medical assistance described in subsection (k)(1) and medical assistance for vaccines described in section 1396d(a)(4)(E) of this title and the administration of such vaccines during the period described in such section, (XVI) the medical assistance made available to an individual described in subsection (ii) shall be limited to family planning services and supplies described in section 1396d(a)(4)(C) of this title including medical diagnosis and treatment services that are provided pursuant to a family planning service in a family planning setting and medical assistance for vaccines described in section 1396d(a)(4)(E) of this title and the administration of such vaccines during the period described in such section, (XVII) if an individual is described in subclause (IX) of subparagraph (A)(i) and is also described in subclause (VIII) of that subparagraph, the medical assistance shall be made available to the individual through subclause (IX) instead of through subclause (VIII), and (XVIII) the medical assistance made available to an uninsured individual (as defined in subsection (ss)) who is eligible for medical assistance only because of subparagraph (A)(ii)(XXIII) shall be limited to medical assistance for any in vitro diagnostic product described in section 1396d(a)(3)(B) of this title that is administered during any portion of the emergency period described in such section beginning on or after March 18, 2020 (and the administration of such product), any service described in section 1396o(a)(2)(G) of this title that is furnished during any such portion, any vaccine described in section 1396d(a)(4)(E) of this title (and the administration of such vaccine) that is furnished during any such portion, and testing and treatments for COVID–19, including specialized equipment and therapies (including preventive therapies), and, in the case of an individual who is diagnosed with or presumed to have COVID–19, during the period such individual has (or is presumed to have) COVID–19, the treatment of a condition that may seriously complicate the treatment of COVID–19, if otherwise covered under the State plan (or waiver of such plan), and (XIX) medical assistance shall be made available during the period described in section 1396d(a)(4)(E) of this title for vaccines described in such section and the administration of such vaccines, for any individual who is eligible for and receiving medical assistance under the State plan or under a waiver of such plan (other than an individual who is eligible for medical assistance consisting only of payment of premiums pursuant to subparagraph (E) or (F) or section 1396u–3 of this title), notwithstanding any provision of this subchapter or waiver under section 1315 of this title impacting such individual’s eligibility for medical assistance under such plan or waiver to coverage for a limited type of benefits and services that would not otherwise include coverage of a COVID–19 vaccine and its administration;
(11)
(A)
provide for entering into cooperative arrangements with the State agencies responsible for administering or supervising the administration of health services and vocational rehabilitation services in the State looking toward maximum utilization of such services in the provision of medical assistance under the plan, (B) provide, to the extent prescribed by the Secretary, for entering into agreements, with any agency, institution, or organization receiving payments under (or through an allotment under) subchapter V, (i) providing for utilizing such agency, institution, or organization in furnishing care and services which are available under such subchapter or allotment and which are included in the State plan approved under this section 5 (ii) making such provision as may be appropriate for reimbursing such agency, institution, or organization for the cost of any such care and services furnished any individual for which payment would otherwise be made to the State with respect to the individual under section 1396b of this title, and (iii) providing for coordination of information and education on pediatric vaccinations and delivery of immunization services, and (C) provide for coordination of the operations under this subchapter, including the provision of information and education on pediatric vaccinations and the delivery of immunization services, with the State’s operations under the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 [42 U.S.C. 1786];
(12)
provide that, in determining whether an individual is blind, there shall be an examination by a physician skilled in the diseases of the eye or by an optometrist, whichever the individual may select;
(13) provide—
(A) for a public process for determination of rates of payment under the plan for hospital services, nursing facility services, and services of intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded under which—
(i)
proposed rates, the methodologies underlying the establishment of such rates, and justifications for the proposed rates are published,
(ii)
providers, beneficiaries and their representatives, and other concerned State residents are given a reasonable opportunity for review and comment on the proposed rates, methodologies, and justifications,
(iii)
final rates, the methodologies underlying the establishment of such rates, and justifications for such final rates are published, and
(iv)
in the case of hospitals, such rates take into account (in a manner consistent with section 1396r–4 of this title) the situation of hospitals which serve a disproportionate number of low-income patients with special needs;
(B)
for payment for hospice care in amounts no lower than the amounts, using the same methodology, used under part A of subchapter XVIII and for payment of amounts under section 1396d(o)(3) of this title; except that in the case of hospice care which is furnished to an individual who is a resident of a nursing facility or intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, and who would be eligible under the plan for nursing facility services or services in an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded if he had not elected to receive hospice care, there shall be paid an additional amount, to take into account the room and board furnished by the facility, equal to at least 95 percent of the rate that would have been paid by the State under the plan for facility services in that facility for that individual; and
(C)
payment for primary care services (as defined in subsection (jj)) furnished in 2013 and 2014 by a physician with a primary specialty designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, or pediatric medicine at a rate not less than 100 percent of the payment rate that applies to such services and physician under part B of subchapter XVIII (or, if greater, the payment rate that would be applicable under such part if the conversion factor under section 1395w–4(d) of this title for the year involved were the conversion factor under such section for 2009);
(14)
provide that enrollment fees, premiums, or similar charges, and deductions, cost sharing, or similar charges, may be imposed only as provided in section 1396o of this title;
(15)
provide for payment for services described in clause (B) or (C) of section 1396d(a)(2) of this title under the plan in accordance with subsection (bb);
(16)
provide for inclusion, to the extent required by regulations prescribed by the Secretary, of provisions (conforming to such regulations) with respect to the furnishing of medical assistance under the plan to individuals who are residents of the State but are absent therefrom;
(17)
except as provided in subsections (e)(14), (e)(15), (l)(3), (m)(3), and (m)(4), include reasonable standards (which shall be comparable for all groups and may, in accordance with standards prescribed by the Secretary, differ with respect to income levels, but only in the case of applicants or recipients of assistance under the plan who are not receiving aid or assistance under any plan of the State approved under subchapter I, X, XIV, or XVI, or part A of subchapter IV, and with respect to whom supplemental security income benefits are not being paid under subchapter XVI, based on the variations between shelter costs in urban areas and in rural areas) for determining eligibility for and the extent of medical assistance under the plan which (A) are consistent with the objectives of this subchapter, (B) provide for taking into account only such income and resources as are, as determined in accordance with standards prescribed by the Secretary, available to the applicant or recipient and (in the case of any applicant or recipient who would, except for income and resources, be eligible for aid or assistance in the form of money payments under any plan of the State approved under subchapter I, X, XIV, or XVI, or part A of subchapter IV, or to have paid with respect to him supplemental security income benefits under subchapter XVI) as would not be disregarded (or set aside for future needs) in determining his eligibility for such aid, assistance, or benefits, (C) provide for reasonable evaluation of any such income or resources, and (D) do not take into account the financial responsibility of any individual for any applicant or recipient of assistance under the plan unless such applicant or recipient is such individual’s spouse or such individual’s child who is under age 21 or (with respect to States eligible to participate in the State program established under subchapter XVI), is blind or permanently and totally disabled, or is blind or disabled as defined in section 1382c of this title (with respect to States which are not eligible to participate in such program); and provide for flexibility in the application of such standards with respect to income by taking into account, except to the extent prescribed by the Secretary, the costs (whether in the form of insurance premiums, payments made to the State under section 1396b(f)(2)(B) of this title, or otherwise and regardless of whether such costs are reimbursed under another public program of the State or political subdivision thereof) incurred for medical care or for any other type of remedial care recognized under State law;
(18)
comply with the provisions of section 1396p of this title with respect to liens, adjustments and recoveries of medical assistance correctly paid,,[6] transfers of assets, and treatment of certain trusts;
(19)
provide such safeguards as may be necessary to assure that eligibility for care and services under the plan will be determined, and such care and services will be provided, in a manner consistent with simplicity of administration and the best interests of the recipients;
(20) if the State plan includes medical assistance in behalf of individuals 65 years of age or older who are patients in institutions for mental diseases—
(A)
provide for having in effect such agreements or other arrangements with State authorities concerned with mental diseases, and, where appropriate, with such institutions, as may be necessary for carrying out the State plan, including arrangements for joint planning and for development of alternate methods of care, arrangements providing assurance of immediate readmittance to institutions where needed for individuals under alternate plans of care, and arrangements providing for access to patients and facilities, for furnishing information, and for making reports;
(B)
provide for an individual plan for each such patient to assure that the institutional care provided to him is in his best interests, including, to that end, assurances that there will be initial and periodic review of his medical and other needs, that he will be given appropriate medical treatment within the institution, and that there will be a periodic determination of his need for continued treatment in the institution; and
(C)
provide for the development of alternate plans of care, making maximum utilization of available resources, for recipients 65 years of age or older who would otherwise need care in such institutions, including appropriate medical treatment and other aid or assistance; for services referred to in section 303(a)(4)(A)(i) and (ii) 1 or section 1383(a)(4)(A)(i) and (ii) 1 of this title which are appropriate for such recipients and for such patients; and for methods of administration necessary to assure that the responsibilities of the State agency under the State plan with respect to such recipients and such patients will be effectively carried out;
(21)
if the State plan includes medical assistance in behalf of individuals 65 years of age or older who are patients in public institutions for mental diseases, show that the State is making satisfactory progress toward developing and implementing a comprehensive mental health program, including provision for utilization of community mental health centers, nursing facilities, and other alternatives to care in public institutions for mental diseases;
(22)
include descriptions of (A) the kinds and numbers of professional medical personnel and supporting staff that will be used in the administration of the plan and of the responsibilities they will have, (B) the standards, for private or public institutions in which recipients of medical assistance under the plan may receive care or services, that will be utilized by the State authority or authorities responsible for establishing and maintaining such standards, (C) the cooperative arrangements with State health agencies and State vocational rehabilitation agencies entered into with a view to maximum utilization of and coordination of the provision of medical assistance with the services administered or supervised by such agencies, and (D) other standards and methods that the State will use to assure that medical or remedial care and services provided to recipients of medical assistance are of high quality;
(23)
provide that (A) any individual eligible for medical assistance (including drugs) may obtain such assistance from any institution, agency, community pharmacy, or person, qualified to perform the service or services required (including an organization which provides such services, or arranges for their availability, on a prepayment basis), who undertakes to provide him such services, and (B) an enrollment of an individual eligible for medical assistance in a primary care case-management system (described in section 1396n(b)(1) of this title), a medicaid managed care organization, or a similar entity shall not restrict the choice of the qualified person from whom the individual may receive services under section 1396d(a)(4)(C) of this title, except as provided in subsection (g), in section 1396n of this title, and in section 1396u–2(a) of this title, except that this paragraph shall not apply in the case of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam, and except that nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as requiring a State to provide medical assistance for such services furnished by a person or entity convicted of a felony under Federal or State law for an offense which the State agency determines is inconsistent with the best interests of beneficiaries under the State plan or by a provider or supplier to which a moratorium under subsection (kk)(4) is applied during the period of such moratorium;
(24)
effective July 1, 1969, provide for consultative services by health agencies and other appropriate agencies of the State to hospitals, nursing facilities, home health agencies, clinics, laboratories, and such other institutions as the Secretary may specify in order to assist them (A) to qualify for payments under this chapter, (B) to establish and maintain such fiscal records as may be necessary for the proper and efficient administration of this chapter, and (C) to provide information needed to determine payments due under this chapter on account of care and services furnished to individuals;
(25) provide—
(A) that the State or local agency administering such plan will take all reasonable measures to ascertain the legal liability of third parties (including health insurers, self-insured plans, group health plans (as defined in section 607(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [29 U.S.C. 1167(1)]), service benefit plans, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, or other parties that are, by statute, contract, or agreement, legally responsible for payment of a claim for a health care item or service) to pay for care and services available under the plan, including—
(i)
the collection of sufficient information (as specified by the Secretary in regulations) to enable the State to pursue claims against such third parties, with such information being collected at the time of any determination or redetermination of eligibility for medical assistance, and
(ii)
the submission to the Secretary of a plan (subject to approval by the Secretary) for pursuing claims against such third parties, which plan shall be integrated with, and be monitored as a part of the Secretary’s review of, the State’s mechanized claims processing and information retrieval systems required under section 1396b(r) of this title;
(B)
that in any case where such a legal liability is found to exist after medical assistance has been made available on behalf of the individual and where the amount of reimbursement the State can reasonably expect to recover exceeds the costs of such recovery, the State or local agency will seek reimbursement for such assistance to the extent of such legal liability;
(C)
that in the case of an individual who is entitled to medical assistance under the State plan with respect to a service for which a third party is liable for payment, the person furnishing the service may not seek to collect from the individual (or any financially responsible relative or representative of that individual) payment of an amount for that service (i) if the total of the amount of the liabilities of third parties for that service is at least equal to the amount payable for that service under the plan (disregarding section 1396o of this title), or (ii) in an amount which exceeds the lesser of (I) the amount which may be collected under section 1396o of this title, or (II) the amount by which the amount payable for that service under the plan (disregarding section 1396o of this title) exceeds the total of the amount of the liabilities of third parties for that service;
(D)
that a person who furnishes services and is participating under the plan may not refuse to furnish services to an individual (who is entitled to have payment made under the plan for the services the person furnishes) because of a third party’s potential liability for payment for the service;
(E) that in the case of preventive pediatric care (including early and periodic screening and diagnosis services under section 1396d(a)(4)(B) of this title) covered under the State plan, the State shall—
(i)
make payment for such service in accordance with the usual payment schedule under such plan for such services without regard to the liability of a third party for payment for such services, except that the State may, if the State determines doing so is cost-effective and will not adversely affect access to care, only make such payment if a third party so liable has not made payment within 90 days after the date the provider of such services has initially submitted a claim to such third party for payment for such services; and
(ii)
seek reimbursement from such third party in accordance with subparagraph (B);
(F) that in the case of any services covered under such plan which are provided to an individual on whose behalf child support enforcement is being carried out by the State agency under part D of subchapter IV of this chapter, the State shall—
(i)
make payment for such service in accordance with the usual payment schedule under such plan for such services without regard to any third-party liability for payment for such services, if such third-party liability is derived (through insurance or otherwise) from the parent whose obligation to pay support is being enforced by such agency, if payment has not been made by such third party within 100 days after the date the provider of such services has initially submitted a claim to such third party for payment for such services, except that the State may make such payment within 30 days after such date if the State determines doing so is cost-effective and necessary to ensure access to care.; 6 and
(ii)
seek reimbursement from such third party in accordance with subparagraph (B);
(G)
that the State prohibits any health insurer (including a group health plan, as defined in section 607(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [29 U.S.C. 1167(1)], a self-insured plan, a service benefit plan, a managed care organization, a pharmacy benefit manager, or other party that is, by statute, contract, or agreement, legally responsible for payment of a claim for a health care item or service), in enrolling an individual or in making any payments for benefits to the individual or on the individual’s behalf, from taking into account that the individual is eligible for or is provided medical assistance under a plan under this subchapter for such State, or any other State;
(H)
that to the extent that payment has been made under the State plan for medical assistance in any case where a third party has a legal liability to make payment for such assistance, the State has in effect laws under which, to the extent that payment has been made under the State plan for medical assistance for health care items or services furnished to an individual, the State is considered to have acquired the rights of such individual to payment by any other party for such health care items or services; and
(I) that the State shall provide assurances satisfactory to the Secretary that the State has in effect laws requiring health insurers, including self-insured plans, group health plans (as defined in section 607(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [29 U.S.C. 1167(1)]), service benefit plans, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, or other parties that are, by statute, contract, or agreement, legally responsible for payment of a claim for a health care item or service, as a condition of doing business in the State, to—
(i)
provide, with respect to individuals who are eligible (and, at State option, individuals who apply or whose eligibility for medical assistance is being evaluated in accordance with section 1396a(e)(13)(D) of this title) for, or are provided, medical assistance under a State plan (or under a waiver of the plan) under this subchapter and child health assistance under subchapter XXI, upon the request of the State, information to determine during what period the individual or their spouses or their dependents may be (or may have been) covered by a health insurer and the nature of the coverage that is or was provided by the health insurer (including the name, address, and identifying number of the plan) in a manner prescribed by the Secretary;
(ii)
accept the State’s right of recovery and the assignment to the State of any right of an individual or other entity to payment from the party for an item or service for which payment has been made under the State plan;
(iii)
respond to any inquiry by the State regarding a claim for payment for any health care item or service that is submitted not later than 3 years after the date of the provision of such health care item or service; and
(iv) agree not to deny a claim submitted by the State solely on the basis of the date of submission of the claim, the type or format of the claim form, or a failure to present proper documentation at the point-of-sale that is the basis of the claim, if—
(I)
the claim is submitted by the State within the 3-year period beginning on the date on which the item or service was furnished; and
(II)
any action by the State to enforce its rights with respect to such claim is commenced within 6 years of the State’s submission of such claim;