Committee backs $4.7 million short-term backfill to cover SSI-identified noncitizens while eligibility is verified

The committee approved a $4.7 million interim supplemental to temporarily backfill general fund costs for roughly 4,885 individuals who appear on the Social Security Administration's SSI file but whose Medicaid eligibility is uncertain under new federal rules enacted in HR1.

JBC staff described the request as a short-term, two-stage strategy: the Department of Health and Human Services will pay services from general fund while staff complete manual eligibility verification and system changes; for those later determined eligible, the state will seek federal matching funds retroactively. "We just recently, within the last couple of weeks, got the CMS technical specifications on how they were going to, implement the data push," Adela Flores of the department told the committee, explaining why the department could not implement the verification process before October 1.

The staff estimate assumed that about 25% of the SSI-identified group will remain eligible; LCS staff characterized that share as an informed departmental estimate with a 20–40% plausible range. Committee members asked for additional detail on how the estimate was derived and for frequent updates as the department reconciles SSI data and immigration status.

The committee approved the staff recommendation for part 1 funding for the current fiscal year and directed the department to prioritize system fixes and outreach to confirm eligibility so that federal match can be claimed where appropriate.