General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6480
January Session, 2011 LCO No. 3852
*03852_______VA_*
Referred to Committee on Select Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Introduced by:
(VA)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 6480
January Session, 2011
LCO No. 3852
*03852_______VA_*
Referred to Committee on Select Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Introduced by:
(VA)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE IDENTIFICATION OF CONNECTICUT VETERANS ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Commissioners of Veterans' Affairs, Mental Health and Addiction Services and Social Services shall enter into a memorandum of understanding that allows for the sharing of information concerning clients of the Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Social Services who are recipients of benefits under the state's medical assistance programs and who are veterans, in order to allow said commissioners to (1) examine whether any such veterans are eligible for federal medical benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and (2) formulate policies that assist such veterans in obtaining such federal medical benefits.
(b) Any memorandum of understanding entered pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall provide that: (1) The Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Social Services shall identify any clients who receive services from such departments and receive, or may be eligible to receive, federal medical benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, (2) on a quarterly basis, the Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Social Services shall submit the identities of such clients to the Department of Veterans' Affairs, (3) the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall research the availability of such federal medical benefits for such clients and their families and shall apply for such federal medical benefits on behalf of eligible clients, (4) the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall inform the Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Social Services of the status of the availability of such federal medical benefits for such clients, and (5) the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall collect and maintain information concerning such clients in accordance with the requirements of section 17b-90 of the general statutes and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-191) (HIPAA), as amended from time to time, or regulations adopted thereunder.
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall conduct a study concerning the use of trusts established for veterans and created pursuant to 42 USC 1396p(d)(4). The study shall include, but not be limited to, an evaluation of the effectiveness of such trusts in enabling such veterans to protect their assets while remaining eligible to receive benefits under the state's medical assistance programs and federal medical benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. On or before January 1, 2012, the commissioner shall submit a report on the findings of the study, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the select committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to veterans' affairs.
Sec. 3. (Effective from passage) Not later than January 1, 2012, the Commissioner of Social Services shall amend any Department of Social Services application form for Medicaid in order to inquire whether the applicant, or any member of the household of such applicant, (1) has ever served in the armed forces, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103 of the general statutes, or (2) receives any federal medical benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 from passage New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
from passage
New section
Sec. 2
from passage
New section
Sec. 3
from passage
New section
Statement of Purpose:
To (1) require the Commissioners of Veterans' Affairs, Mental Health and Addiction Services and Social Services to enter into a memorandum of understanding concerning the sharing of information in order to maximize federal medical benefits for veterans, (2) require the Commissioner of Veterans' Affairs to conduct a study concerning the eligibility of veterans for certain medical benefits when certain trusts are established for their benefit, and (3) require the Commissioner of Social Services to amend application forms for Medicaid in order to inquire about the military service of an applicant.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]