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Medicaid Expansion (for more information also see the Maintaining the Salty Net sectionZ <br />How specifically will Medicaid be expanded? <br />Medicaid will be expanded to cover a new population of adults who are currently not eligible for the program-non- <br />Medicare eligible adults under age 65 without dependent children with incomes up to 133% FPL (based on modified <br />adjusted gross income). This means that all individuals under age 65 (children, pregnant women, parent, and adults <br />without dependent children) who meet the income criteria will be eligible for Medicaid, and most asset and resource tests <br />will be eliminated. <br />When will the Medicaid expansion occur? <br />The expansion of Medicaid will occur in 2014. However, states do have the option to implement the expansion as soon as <br />April 1, 2010. <br />What type of benefit package will individuals newly eligible for Medicaid receive? <br />All newly eligible adults will be guaranteed to receive a benefit package that meets the essential health benefits available <br />through the state-based health insurance exchanges. <br />Who or what entity will determine what is in the essential health benefits package? <br />The elements of the essential health benefits package will be determined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and <br />Human Services. <br />How will the Medicaid expansion be financed? <br />The expansion of coverage through Medicaid will be fully federally financed from 2014 to 2016, with progressively less <br />federal financing each year until 2020 when the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) will cover 90 percent of <br />the costs of covering the newly eligible. <br />Will states that choose to expand Medicaid eligibility prior to 2014 receive a higher FMAP rate? <br />No-while states do have the option to expand Medicaid eligibility as soon as April 1, 2010, states that choose to do so <br />will not receive the higher FMAP rate until January 1, 2014. <br />What will the FMAP rate be for states that have already expanded Medicaid coverage to adults with incomes up to <br />100% FPL? <br />States that have already expanded Medicaid eligibility to adults with incomes up to 100% FPL will receive an increase in <br />the FMAP for non-pregnant adults without children that is phased in so that their federal financing matches other states' <br />by 2019. <br />What will be the role of counties in the expansion of Medicaid to new individuals? <br />Counties that currently determine individuals' eligibility for Medicaid will be directly involved in implementing the law's <br />requirement to expand Medicaid to individuals who meet the new eligibility criteria. <br />Temporary National High-Risk Pool <br />What is the temporary high-risk pool? <br />Prior to the expansion of Medicaid and the creation of state-based health insurance exchanges in 2014, a temporary <br />national high-risk pool program funded by the federal government will be established for individuals with pre-existing <br />medical conditions to be able to purchase health insurance coverage. <br />8 <br />