The bill amends Section 3 of P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-3) to increase the resource thresholds for certain Medicaid eligibility groups in New Jersey, specifically for medically needy individuals. The new resource limits are set at $40,000 for one-person households and $60,000 for two-person households, with an additional $20,000 for each additional person in households of three or more. The previous resource standards, which were based on 200% of the resource standard for recipients of Supplemental Security Income, have been deleted from the law. The bill also clarifies that individuals whose income exceeds the established limits may still qualify as medically needy by incurring medical expenses that reduce their income to the applicable level.

Furthermore, the bill establishes similar resource standards for the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program, the Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary Program, and the Qualifying Individual Program, aligning them with the new thresholds. It emphasizes that these changes do not affect the NJ Workability Program, which does not impose resource limits for eligibility. The Commissioner of Human Services is tasked with applying for necessary state plan amendments or waivers to implement these changes and secure federal funding for Medicaid expenditures. Overall, the bill aims to enhance access to medical assistance for vulnerable populations by modernizing resource requirements for Medicaid eligibility.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 30:4D-3