14007.45. (Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 171, Sec. 32.5.)

(b) The department shall designate county foster care workers, public health nurses, or other staff who are involved in the children’s removal from the home as a qualified entity capable of making an eligibility determination under Section 1920A of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396r-1a).

(c) The qualified entity shall have access to the Medi-Cal Eligibility Data System to determine whether the child for whom the petition of dependency was filed is eligible for Medi-Cal. If the child is not currently eligible for Medi-Cal, the qualified entity shall have the authority to enter the child’s information into the Medi-Cal Eligibility Data System to ensure timely issuance of either a Medi-Cal card or Medi-Cal Benefits Identification Card thereby ensuring immediate proof of or access to proof of Medi-Cal eligibility.

(d) The department shall seek any state plan amendments necessary to implement this section. Once federal approval of all necessary state plan amendments is received, implementation shall begin on the first day of the month that follows the full calendar month after the month federal approval is received.

(e) In the event that the state plan amendment necessary to implement this section is disapproved by the federal government, the department shall instruct counties on all available procedures for expediting eligibility applications for children described in subdivision (a) and for immediately issuing sufficient proof of eligibility to ensure that eligibility of children entering the foster care system can be immediately confirmed by providers.

(f) If the federal waiver described in Section 12693.755 of the Insurance Code for covering parents under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program is approved, and if the option under Section 1920A of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396r-1a) is exercised to extend accelerated eligibility to all children as part of implementation of that waiver, and if the state plan amendment for implementation of this section is disapproved, then the department shall have discretion to determine whether and under what circumstances foster care workers who complete the application form described in subdivision (e) shall submit that form to the qualified entity for accelerated eligibility rather than to the county Medi-Cal eligibility worker.

(g) This section shall be implemented only if and to the extent that federal financial participation is available.

(h) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department shall implement, without taking any regulatory action, this section by means of all-county letters or similar instructions. Thereafter, the department shall adopt regulations in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.