SB355 Summary

• Expands Alabama Medicaid program to provide assistance to all eligible persons for whom federal matching funds are available under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148).

• Directs the Alabama Medicaid Agency to serve as lead agency for implementing the Medicaid expansion and authorizes it to seek assistance from other state and federal agencies.

• Requires the Legislature to annually appropriate adequate funding to the Alabama Medicaid Agency to implement and operate the expanded Medicaid program.

• Establishes that expansion will extend coverage to persons with incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty limit and references federal cost-sharing declining from 100 percent in 2014 to 95 percent in 2017 to 90 percent in 2020.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.