WAIVER PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS

(a) If feasible and cost-effective, the commission may apply for a waiver from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or another appropriate federal agency to more efficiently leverage the use of state and local funds to maximize the receipt of federal Medicaid matching funds by providing Medicaid benefits to individuals who: (1) meet established income and other eligibility criteria; and (2) are eligible to receive services through the county for chronic health conditions. (b) In establishing the waiver program, the commission shall: (1) ensure that this state is a prudent purchaser of the health care services that are needed for the individuals described by Subsection (a); (2) solicit broad-based input from interested persons; (3) ensure that the benefits an individual receives through the county are not reduced once the individual is enrolled in the waiver program; and (4) employ the use of intergovernmental transfers and other procedures to maximize the receipt of federal Medicaid matching funds.