The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) recently released the 2020 Rider 35 Report on Medicaid Coverage for Former Foster Children.
Texas CASA supported the addition of Rider 35 into the Article II Appropriations Act during the 86th Legislative Session. It requires HHSC to report the number of youth formerly in foster care who experience a loss or disruption in their health coverage due to difficulty updating their address with the state.
Under federal law, youth who age out of foster care are eligible for Medicaid coverage up to age 26 through the Former Foster Care Children program. To qualify, individuals must have been under state conservatorship when they exited foster care.
The Rider 35 report highlights that in FY19, over 700 young adults were denied coverage before their benefits should have ended, with 220 of those young adults losing coverage because the State was unable to locate them and verify their address. The report also includes recommendations on how youth can contact the State to maintain their coverage without disruption.
Read the rider 35 report
Texas CASA is working to have legislation filed this session to address the issue of Medicaid coverage and eliminate the need for young people to contact the agency to update their address. Learn more in our white paper.