A bill that would limit California's power to recover assets from the estates of deceased people has a hearing at the Capitol Monday morning. A similar bill was vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown last year.
The bill's author says California is one of a minority of states that seizes assets of people who received basic services through Medi-Cal at the age of 55 or older.
They say federal law only requires governments to collect on Medicaid payments for nursing care, so their bill would place California's Medi-Cal recovery law at the federal minimum. It would also make it easier for Medi-Cal recipients to track their accrued costs.
The Governor said in his veto message last year that the measure is a "reasonable goal," but it wasn't a budget priority.
Health consumer advocates want the Governor's revised budget this week to provide for limited asset recovery. They say low-income people should not fear losing a home because they signed up for health insurance.
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
