TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A move to eliminate a 90-day Medicaid retroactive eligibility period will continue for at least another year.
As he signed a $90.98 billion state budget Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis also approved a related bill that deals with numerous issues, including Medicaid retroactive eligibility.
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Under normal Medicaid regulations, patients are able to receive coverage for a 90-day period before they apply for Medicaid. But the Legislature last year decided to eliminate such retroactive coverage for many patients, though the change did not apply to children and pregnant women.
A budget “implementing” bill (SB 2502) signed Friday by DeSantis keeps the money-saving change in place for at least one more year.
For non-pregnant adults, that means coverage will only go back to the beginning of the month they apply for Medicaid.
The bill also requires the state Agency for Health Care Administration, working with the Department of Children and Families, the Florida Hospital Association, the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, the Florida Health Care Association and the group LeadingAge Florida, to submit a report to DeSantis and the Legislature by Jan. 10 about the impact of the retroactivity change on patients and health-care providers.