Back to Mississippi

SB2451 • 2026

DHS and Medicaid assistance program benefits; revise eligibility criteria and verification procedures for.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-12-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THAT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATIONS FOR CERTAIN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS BE PERFORMED AT LEAST QUARTERLY BETWEEN ELIGIBILITY REDETERMINATIONS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 43-12-6, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF MEDICAID (DIVISION) AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES (DEPARTMENT) TO ASSESS CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY BASED ON REVIEW OF DATA FROM CERTAIN FEDERAL SOURCES; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 43-12-10, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT NO INDIVIDUAL WHO IS NOT A UNITED STATES CITIZEN OR A NATIONAL OF THE UNITED STATES SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) OR FOR MEDICAID UNLESS THE INDIVIDUAL MEETS THE DEFINITION OF AN ELIGIBLE ALIEN UNDER 7 USC � 2015(F) OR 42 USC � 1396B(V), AS THE CASE MAY BE, AND MEETS THE DEFINITION OF A QUALIFIED ALIEN UNDER 8 USC � 1641(B); TO REQUIRE VERIFICATION OF CITIZENSHIP OR ELIGIBLE ALIEN STATUS DURING ENROLLMENT AND ELIGIBILITY REDETERMINATIONS; TO REQUIRE SUBMISSION TO APPROPRIATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES INFORMATION CONCERNING ANY HOUSEHOLD MEMBER DETERMINED TO BE AN UNLAWFULLY PRESENT ALIEN; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT AND THE DIVISION TO SUBMIT INFORMATION CONCERNING ANY HOUSEHOLD MEMBER FOR WHOM THEY ARE UNABLE TO VERIFY ELIGIBLE ALIEN STATUS; TO DIRECT THE DIVISION TO REQUIRE HOSPITALS THAT ACCEPT MEDICAID TO INCLUDE A PROVISION ON ADMISSION OR REGISTRATION FORMS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT A PATIENT'S CITIZENSHIP OR IMMIGRATION STATUS AND TO SUBMIT QUARTERLY REPORTS THAT INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS OR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS BASED ON CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION STATUS; TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION TO SUBMIT ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE GOVERNOR, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT INCLUDE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS FROM HOSPITALS THAT ACCEPT MEDICAID FOR THE PRIOR YEAR BASED ON CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION STATUS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 43-12-18, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO LIMIT RETROACTIVE ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAID; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 43-12-20, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO SET FORTH FREQUENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY REDETERMINATIONS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 43-12-24, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO SET FORTH FREQUENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR SNAP ELIGIBILITY RECERTIFICATIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 43-12-29, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHALL VERIFY CERTAIN INFORMATION PRIOR TO CERTIFICATION OR RECERTIFICATION; TO REQUIRE VERIFICATION THROUGH CERTAIN SOURCES; TO PROHIBIT ACCEPTANCE OF ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS FROM AN EXCHANGE ESTABLISHED UNDER 42 U.S.C. � 18041(C); TO AMEND SECTION 43-12-39, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT MUST BE ON THE DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL REPORT OF SNAP AND TANF BENEFIT SPENDING; TO AMEND SECTION 43-12-41, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DIRECT THE DIVISION AND THE DEPARTMENT TO REPORT ON EFFORTS TO MINIMIZE ELIGIBILITY ERRORS AND FRAUD AND TO ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCH REPORTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Healthcare
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Hill
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
Passage

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Changes to Eligibility Verification for Assistance Programs

This bill changes how eligibility is checked and verified for Medicaid and SNAP benefits in Mississippi.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires quarterly checks of eligibility between regular reviews for certain assistance programs.
  • Revises rules on verifying citizenship or legal status during enrollment and rechecks.
  • Limits retroactive eligibility for Medicaid and sets new frequency requirements for eligibility reviews.
  • Directs hospitals that accept Medicaid to collect immigration information from patients and report it regularly.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People applying for or receiving SNAP benefits
  • Individuals seeking Medicaid assistance
  • Hospitals that accept Medicaid

Terms To Know

Eligible Alien
A non-U.S. citizen who meets specific legal requirements to receive certain government benefits.
Unlawfully Present Alien
An individual who is in the United States without proper authorization or documentation.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not signed into law.
  • It does not specify how much it will cost to implement these changes.
  • Details on enforcement actions against unlawfully present aliens are not provided.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (S) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (S) Referred To Public Health and Welfare

Official Summary Text

DHS and Medicaid assistance program benefits; revise eligibility criteria and verification procedures for.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 1 (baf\tb)

To: Public Health and
Welfare
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Hill

SENATE BILL NO. 2451

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-12-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
REQUIRE THAT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATIONS FOR CERTAIN ASSISTANCE 2
PROGRAMS BE PERFORMED AT LEAST QUARTERLY BETWEEN ELIGIBILITY 3
REDETERMINATIONS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 43-12-6, MISSISSIPPI CODE 4
OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF MEDICAID (DIVISION) AND THE 5
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES (DEPARTMENT) TO ASSESS CONTINUED 6
ELIGIBILITY BASED ON REVIEW OF DATA FROM CERTAIN FEDERAL SOURCES; 7
TO CREATE NEW SECTION 43-12-10, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 8
PROVIDE THAT NO INDIVIDUAL WHO IS NOT A UNITED STATES CITIZEN OR A 9
NATIONAL OF THE UNITED STATES SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR PARTICIPATION 10
IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) OR FOR 11
MEDICAID UNLESS THE INDIVIDUAL MEETS THE DEFINITION OF AN ELIGIBLE 12
ALIEN UNDER 7 USC § 2015(F) OR 42 USC § 1396B(V), AS THE CASE MAY 13
BE, AND MEETS THE DEFINITION OF A QUALIFIED ALIEN UNDER 8 USC § 14
1641(B); TO REQUIRE VERIFICATION OF CITIZENSHIP OR ELIGIBLE ALIEN 15
STATUS DURING ENROLLMENT AND ELIGIBILITY REDETERMINATIONS; TO 16
REQUIRE SUBMISSION TO APPROPRIATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES 17
INFORMATION CONCERNING ANY HOUSEHOLD MEMBER DETERMINED TO BE AN 18
UNLAWFULLY PRESENT ALIEN; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT AND THE 19
DIVISION TO SUBMIT INFORMATION CONCERNING ANY HOUSEHOLD MEMBER FOR 20
WHOM THEY ARE UNABLE TO VERIFY ELIGIBLE ALIEN STATUS; TO DIRECT 21
THE DIVISION TO REQUIRE HOSPITALS THAT ACCEPT MEDICAID TO INCLUDE 22
A PROVISION ON ADMISSION OR REGISTRATION FORMS FOR INFORMATION 23
ABOUT A PATIENT'S CITIZENSHIP OR IMMIGRATION STATUS AND TO SUBMIT 24
QUARTERLY REPORTS THAT INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS OR 25
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS BASED ON CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION 26
STATUS; TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION TO SUBMIT ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE 27
GOVERNOR, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE 28
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT INCLUDE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOSPITAL 29
ADMISSIONS AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS FROM HOSPITALS THAT 30
ACCEPT MEDICAID FOR THE PRIOR YEAR BASED ON CITIZENSHIP AND 31
IMMIGRATION STATUS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 43-12-18, MISSISSIPPI 32
CODE OF 1972, TO LIMIT RETROACTIVE ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAID; TO 33
CREATE NEW SECTION 43-12-20, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO SET 34
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 2 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
FORTH FREQUENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY 35
REDETERMINATIONS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 43-12-24, MISSISSIPPI CODE 36
OF 1972, TO SET FORTH FREQUENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR SNAP ELIGIBILITY 37
RECERTIFICATIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 43-12-29, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 38
1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHALL VERIFY CERTAIN 39
INFORMATION PRIOR TO CERTIFICATION OR RECERTIFICATION; TO REQUIRE 40
VERIFICATION THROUGH CERTAIN SOURCES; TO PROHIBIT ACCEPTANCE OF 41
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS FROM AN EXCHANGE ESTABLISHED UNDER 42 42
U.S.C. § 18041(C); TO AMEND SECTION 43-12-39, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 43
1972, TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT MUST BE ON THE 44
DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL REPORT OF SNAP AND TANF BENEFIT SPENDING; TO 45
AMEND SECTION 43-12-41, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DIRECT THE 46
DIVISION AND THE DEPARTMENT TO REPORT ON EFFORTS TO MINIMIZE 47
ELIGIBILITY ERRORS AND FRAUD AND TO ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 48
REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCH REPORTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 49
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 50
SECTION 1. Section 43-12-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 51
amended as follows: 52
43-12-5. (1) Definitions. For purposes of Sections 43-12-5 53
through 43-12-17, except for Section 43-12-10, the following 54
definitions apply: 55
(a) "Department" means the Division of Medicaid or the 56
Department of Human Services, as the case may be. 57
(b) "Identity information" means an applicant or 58
recipient's full name, aliases, date of birth, address, social 59
security number and other related information, including, but not 60
limited to, the information in subsection (2)(a) of this section. 61
(2) Establishment of enhanced eligibility verification 62
service. 63
(a) The department shall establish and use a 64
computerized income, asset, residence and identity eligibility 65
verification service in order to verify eligibility, eliminate the 66
duplication of assistance, and deter waste, fraud, and abuse 67
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 3 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
within each respective assistance program administered by the 68
department. The information verified shall include, but not be 69
limited to: 70
(i) Earned and unearned income; 71
(ii) Employment status and changes in employment; 72
(iii) Immigration status; 73
(iv) Residency status, including a nationwide 74
best-address source to verify individuals are residents of the 75
state; 76
(v) Enrollment status in other state-administered 77
public assistance programs, as available in a cost-efficient 78
manner; 79
(vi) Financial resources; 80
(vii) Incarceration status; 81
(viii) Death records; 82
(ix) Enrollment status in public assistance 83
programs outside of this state, as available in a cost-efficient 84
manner; and 85
(x) Potential identity fraud or identity theft. 86
(b) The department may issue a Request for Proposals 87
(RFP) from multiple third-party vendors, regardless of the amount 88
of funds to be expended under the contract, for the purposes of 89
identifying fraud in the programs described in this chapter and 90
pursuant to the specifications prescribed in this subsection (2). 91
After evaluating the proposals submitted, the department shall 92
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 4 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
enter into a competitively bid contract with a third-party vendor 93
for the purposes of using and accessing an eligibility 94
verification service by which to verify the income, assets, 95
residence, identity, and other information in paragraph (a) of 96
this subsection (2) to prevent fraud, misrepresentation, and 97
inadequate documentation when determining an applicant's 98
eligibility for assistance before the distribution of 99
benefits, * * * at least quarterly between eligibility 100
redeterminations, and during eligibility redeterminations and 101
reviews, as prescribed in this section. The department may use 102
more than one (1) eligibility verification service and/or 103
third-party vendor, if doing so is more cost-efficient. The 104
department may renegotiate an existing contract with a current 105
vendor for the purposes stated in this paragraph (b) if doing so 106
is more cost-efficient than issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) 107
from multiple third-party vendors. If the department determines 108
that it is not more cost-efficient to renegotiate an existing 109
contract with a current vendor, the department shall issue a 110
Request for Proposals (RFP) from multiple third-party vendors as 111
provided in this paragraph (b), regardless of the amount of funds 112
to be expended under the contract. The department may also enter 113
into a competitively bid contract with a third-party vendor to 114
provide information to facilitate reviews of recipient eligibility 115
conducted by the department. 116
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 5 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
(c) When the department enters into a competitively bid 117
contract with a third-party vendor or renegotiates an existing 118
contract with a current vendor for the purposes of carrying out 119
this eligibility verification service, the vendor, in partnership 120
with the department, shall be required by contract to establish 121
annualized savings realized from implementation of the eligibility 122
verification service. It is the intent of the Legislature that 123
savings exceed the total yearly cost for implementing the 124
eligibility verification service. 125
(d) To avoid any conflict of interest, when the 126
department enters into a competitively bid contract with a 127
third-party vendor or renegotiates an existing contract with a 128
current vendor, that primary vendor may not currently or will not 129
be allowed to bid on or be awarded a state contract to run 130
enrollment services. 131
(e) It shall be the responsibility of the contracted 132
third-party vendor to obtain access to any data, data sources and 133
databases, not already being used by the department, for the 134
purposes of implementing the eligibility verification service. 135
The payment structure for the contracted third-party vendor shall 136
be based on a per-applicant rate. 137
(f) Nothing in this section shall preclude the 138
department from continuing to conduct additional eligibility 139
verification processes, not detailed in this section, that are 140
currently in practice; and nothing in this section shall require 141
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 6 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
the department or third-party vendor to violate the Fair Credit 142
Reporting Act. 143
(3) The department shall have the eligibility verification 144
service required by this section implemented and operational not 145
later than July 1, 2019. The department shall submit a report 146
every six (6) months on its progress on implementing the 147
eligibility verification service to the Chairmen of the House and 148
Senate Appropriations Committees, the House Public Health and 149
Human Services Committee and the Senate Public Health and Welfare 150
Committee, and the House and Senate Medicaid Committees. The 151
report also shall be provided to the other members of the 152
Legislature upon request. 153
(4) (a) As used in this subsection, the following terms 154
shall be defined as provided in this paragraph: 155
(i) "Abuse" includes any practice that is 156
inconsistent with acceptable fiscal, business or medical practices 157
that unnecessarily increase cost. 158
(ii) "Fraud" means misrepresenting the truth to 159
obtain an unauthorized benefit. 160
(b) The department shall enter or have entered into a 161
competitively bid contract with a third-party vendor for the 162
purposes of identifying waste, abuse and fraud in the programs 163
administered by the department, focusing on detecting and 164
preventing abuse and fraud by providers of services in those 165
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 7 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
programs, and recovering improper payments made to providers of 166
services in those programs. 167
SECTION 2. The following shall be codified as Section 168
43-12-6, Mississippi Code of 1972: 169
43-12-6. Required eligibility verification procedures using 170
federal data sources. (1) At least once a month, the department 171
shall assess continued eligibility and act on any changes that may 172
affect eligibility based on a review of data from the following 173
federal sources: 174
(a) From the United States Social Security 175
Administration, earned income information, death register 176
information, incarceration records, supplemental security income 177
information, beneficiary records, earnings information and pension 178
information; 179
(b) From the United States Department of Health and 180
Human Services, income and employment information maintained in 181
the National Directory of New Hires database and child support 182
enforcement data; 183
(c) From the United States Department of Housing and 184
Urban Development, payment and earnings information; 185
(d) From the United States Federal Bureau of 186
Investigation, national fleeing felon information; and 187
(e) From the United States Postal Service, change of 188
address information. 189
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 8 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit 190
the department from verifying eligibility or changes in 191
circumstances using additional data sources, including, but not 192
limited to, other federal, state and commercial data sources. 193
SECTION 3. The following shall be codified as Section 194
43-12-10, Mississippi Code of 1972: 195
43-12-10. Eligible aliens for welfare and enhanced 196
verification of citizenship or immigration status. (1) As used 197
in this section, "department" means the Department of Human 198
Services, and "division" means the Division of Medicaid. 199
(2) No individual who is not a United States citizen or a 200
national of the United States shall be eligible for participation 201
in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), unless 202
that individual meets the definition of an eligible alien under 7 203
USC § 2015(f) and meets the definition of a qualified alien under 204
8 USC § 1641(b). 205
(3) No individual who is not a United States citizen or a 206
national of the United States shall be eligible for Medicaid, 207
unless that individual meets the definition of an eligible alien 208
under 42 USC § 1396b(v) and meets the definition of a qualified 209
alien under 8 USC § 1641(b). 210
(4) The department shall be required to verify that an 211
individual is eligible under subsection (1) of this section and 212
the division shall be required to verify that an individual is 213
eligible under subsection (2) of this section during enrollment 214
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 9 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
and eligibility redeterminations by verifying citizenship or 215
eligible alien status using the Systematic Alien Verification for 216
Entitlements (SAVE) service or by requiring the individual to 217
provide an acceptable form of proof of citizenship or eligible 218
alien status, including, but not limited to, certified birth 219
certificates, United States passports and United States 220
Citizenship and Immigration Services documentation. 221
(5) The department and the division shall submit to the 222
appropriate law enforcement authorities, including, but not 223
limited to, the United States Department of Homeland Security, 224
information concerning any household member that the department or 225
the division, as the case may be, has determined to be an 226
unlawfully present alien, regardless of whether such household 227
member is applying to participate in the program as a member of 228
such household. 229
(6) The department shall submit to the United States 230
Department of Agriculture information concerning any household 231
member for whom it is unable to verify eligible alien status, 232
regardless of whether such household member is applying to 233
participate in SNAP as a member of such household. 234
(7) The division shall submit to the United States 235
Department of Health and Human Services information concerning any 236
household member for whom it is unable to verify eligible alien 237
status, regardless of whether such household member is applying 238
for Medicaid as a member of such household. 239
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 10 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
(8) The entire income and financial resources of any 240
individual rendered ineligible for participation in SNAP under 7 241
USC § 2015(f) shall be considered in determining the eligibility 242
and benefit allotment of the household of which such individual is 243
a member. 244
(9) The division shall adhere to the following requirements 245
regarding the reasonable opportunity period for verification of 246
United States citizenship or eligible alien status for Medicaid: 247
(a) When an applicant's status cannot be verified 248
through available data sources, the division shall provide only a 249
single reasonable opportunity period, consistent with the minimum 250
period required under federal law, for the applicant to provide 251
verification. 252
(b) Medicaid coverage may only be provided on a 253
provisional basis during the reasonable opportunity period. 254
(c) Failure to submit acceptable documentation within 255
the reasonable opportunity period required under federal law shall 256
result in denial or termination of Medicaid eligibility, subject 257
to required notice. 258
(d) No additional reasonable opportunity period shall 259
be granted to any applicant who has previously been denied 260
eligibility at any time due to a failure to verify citizenship or 261
eligible alien status. 262
(10) The division shall require a field for citizenship or 263
eligible alien status on all presumptive eligibility applications. 264
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 11 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
The division shall require hospitals, clinics, and other qualified 265
entities authorized to conduct presumptive eligibility 266
determinations to collect and transmit attestations of citizenship 267
or eligible alien status to the division. No presumptive 268
eligibility application shall be approved unless the applicant 269
certifies that they are a United States citizen, United States 270
national, or alien eligible for Medicaid under 42 USC § 1396b(v) 271
and subsection (3) of this section. 272
(11) The division shall: 273
(a) Require each hospital that accepts Medicaid to do 274
all of the following: 275
(i) Include a provision on its patient admission 276
or registration forms for the patient or the patient's 277
representative to state or indicate whether the patient is a 278
United States citizen or lawfully present in the United States or 279
is not lawfully present in the United States. 280
(ii) Notify a patient, at the time the information 281
under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph (a) is collected, that 282
any submission made on an admission or registration form will not 283
affect patient care, as required by federal law. 284
(iii) Submit a quarterly report to the division 285
within thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter 286
that includes the number of hospital admissions or emergency 287
department visits within the previous quarter that were made by a 288
patient or a patient's representative who indicated that the 289
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 12 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
patient was a United States citizen or lawfully present in the 290
United States, that the patient was not lawfully present in the 291
United States, or that the patient or patient's representative 292
declined to answer. 293
(b) By April 1 of each year, submit a report to the 294
Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the 295
House of Representatives that includes the total number of 296
hospital admissions and emergency department visits from hospitals 297
that accept Medicaid for the previous calendar year for which the 298
patient or patient's representative reported that the patient was 299
a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United States, 300
that the patient was not lawfully present in the United States, or 301
that the patient or patient's representative declined to answer. 302
The report must also describe information relating to the costs of 303
uncompensated care for aliens who are not lawfully present in the 304
United States, the impact of uncompensated care on the cost or 305
ability of hospitals to provide services to the public, hospital 306
funding needs and other related information. 307
(c) Adopt rules relating to the format and information 308
to be contained in quarterly reports under paragraph (a)(iii) of 309
this subsection (11) and the acceptable formats for hospitals to 310
use in requesting information regarding a patient's immigration 311
status on hospital admission or registration forms. 312
SECTION 4. The following shall be codified as Section 313
43-12-18, Mississippi Code of 1972: 314
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 13 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
43-12-18. Retroactive eligibility for Medicaid. The 315
Division of Medicaid shall limit retroactive eligibility for 316
Medicaid for an individual to no more than two (2) months prior to 317
the month in which the individual submits a completed Medicaid 318
application. 319
SECTION 5. The following shall be codified as Section 320
43-12-20, Mississippi Code of 1972: 321
43-12-20. Medicaid eligibility redeterminations. (1) 322
Unless prohibited by federal law, the Division of Medicaid shall 323
conduct eligibility redeterminations for all nonelderly adult 324
Medicaid recipients based upon the application of Modified 325
Adjusted Gross Income standards under 42 CFR § 435.603 at least 326
once every six (6) months. 327
(2) The Division of Medicaid shall conduct eligibility 328
redeterminations for all Medicaid recipients not described in 329
subsection (1) of this section at least once every twelve (12) 330
months. 331
SECTION 6. The following shall be codified as Section 332
43-12-24, Mississippi Code of 1972: 333
43-12-24. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 334
eligibility recertification frequency. (1) The Department of 335
Human Services shall assign certification periods of no more than 336
four (4) months' duration to households with zero (0) net income, 337
households that include an able-bodied adult without dependents, 338
or other households whose circumstances are determined by the 339
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 14 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
Department of Human Services to be unstable, unless otherwise 340
prohibited under federal law for SNAP. 341
(2) The Department of Human Services shall assign 342
certification periods for a duration of one (1) or two (2) months 343
to households that the Department of Human Services determines 344
will become ineligible for SNAP in the near future, unless 345
otherwise prohibited under federal law. 346
SECTION 7. Section 43-12-29, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 347
amended as follows: 348
43-12-29. (1) The Department of Human Services shall verify 349
identity, household composition, expenses, and any other factor 350
affecting eligibility allowed under 7 CFR Section 273.2(f)(3) 351
prior to certification or recertification. 352
(2) The Department of Human Services shall not accept the 353
self-attestation or self-declaration of an applicant or enrollee 354
as verification of income, assets or expenses unless such 355
verification is strictly unavailable due to circumstances beyond 356
an applicant or enrollee's control and federal regulations 357
explicitly require the acceptance of such statement to preserve 358
the applicant or enrollee's due process rights. 359
(3) For the purposes of this section, "verification" means 360
independent confirmation of the information provided by an 361
applicant or enrollee through: 362
(a) Third-party data matching sources; 363
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 15 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
(b) Documentary evidence provided by the source of the 364
income; or 365
(c) Direct contact with the income source. 366
(4) If any discrepancy exists between an applicant's or 367
enrollee's statement and third-party data matching sources, the 368
Department of Human Services shall investigate the discrepancy and 369
shall not certify the applicant or recertify the enrollee until 370
the discrepancy is resolved by independent documentary evidence. 371
(5) The Division of Medicaid shall not accept an eligibility 372
determination from an Exchange established under 42 USC § 373
18041(c). 374
(6) The Division of Medicaid may accept an assessment from 375
an Exchange established under 42 USC § 18041(c), provided that the 376
Division of Medicaid makes the eligibility determination. 377
(7) Except where required by federal law, the Division of 378
Medicaid shall not accept self-attestation of income, residency, 379
age, household composition, caretaker or relative status, or 380
receipt of other coverage without verification of such information 381
prior to enrollment. 382
SECTION 8. Section 43-12-39, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 383
amended as follows: 384
43-12-39. (1) The Department of Human Services shall post 385
on its website and make available on an annual basis to the 386
chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the 387
House Public Health and Human Services Committee and the Senate 388
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 16 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
Public Health and Welfare Committee a report of SNAP and TANF 389
benefit spending. The report also shall be provided to the other 390
members of the Legislature upon request. 391
(2) The report required under subsection (1) of this section 392
shall include: 393
(a) The dollar amount and number of transactions of 394
SNAP benefits that are accessed or spent out-of-state, 395
disaggregated by state; 396
(b) The dollar amount and number of transactions of 397
TANF benefits that are accessed or spent out-of-state, 398
disaggregated by state; 399
(c) The dollar amount, number of transactions, and 400
times of transactions of SNAP benefits that are accessed or spent 401
in-state, disaggregated by retailer, institution, or location, 402
unless expressly prohibited by federal law; * * * 403
(d) The dollar amount, number of transactions, and time 404
of transactions of TANF benefits that are accessed or spent 405
in-state, disaggregated by retailer, institution, or 406
location * * *; and 407
(e) The number of households in which transactions 408
occurred exclusively outside this state for a continuous period of 409
sixty (60) days or more during the reporting period. 410
(3) The report required under subsection (1) of this section 411
shall be de-identified to prevent identification of individual 412
recipients. 413
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 17 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
SECTION 9. Section 43-12-41, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 414
amended as follows: 415
43-12-41. (1) The Division of Medicaid and the Department 416
of Human Services shall provide on an annual basis to the Chairmen 417
of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the House 418
Public Health and Human Services Committee and the Senate Public 419
Health and Welfare Committee, and the House and Senate Medicaid 420
Committees, a report of characteristics of recipients of Medicaid, 421
SNAP and TANF benefits and efforts by the Division of Medicaid and 422
the Department of Human Services to minimize eligibility errors 423
and fraud. The report also shall be provided to the other members 424
of the Legislature upon request. 425
(2) The report required under subsection (1) of this section 426
shall include: 427
(a) The length of enrollment, disaggregated by program 428
and eligibility group; 429
(b) The share of recipients concurrently enrolled in 430
one or more additional means-tested programs, disaggregated by 431
program and eligibility group; 432
(c) The number of means-tested programs recipients are 433
concurrently enrolled in, disaggregated by program and eligibility 434
group; 435
(d) The demographics and characteristics of recipients, 436
disaggregated by program and eligibility group; * * * 437
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 18 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
(e) The dollar amount spent on advertising and 438
marketing for TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and other means-tested 439
programs, including both state and federal funds, disaggregated by 440
program * * *; 441
(f) The number of households investigated for 442
intentional program violations or fraud; 443
(g) The total number of households referred to the 444
Attorney General's Office for prosecution; 445
(h) The total dollar amount of improper payments and 446
expenditures; 447
(i) The total dollar amount of monies recovered; 448
(j) The aggregate data concerning improper payments and 449
ineligible recipients as a percentage of those investigated and 450
reviewed; 451
(k) The list of the databases and sources used to 452
detect eligibility errors and fraud; 453
(l) The number of households flagged by each database 454
as ineligible for the program; 455
(m) The number of cases in which benefits were adjusted 456
or terminated due to overpayments being made; 457
(n) The metrics regarding timeliness, including, but 458
not limited to: 459
(i) The median number of days from the date a 460
database or source flags an eligibility error until the date the 461
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 19 (baf\tb)
ST: DHS and Medicaid assistance program
benefits; revise eligibility criteria and
verification procedures for.
Division of Medicaid or the Department of Human Services initiates 462
verification of the flagged eligibility error; 463
(ii) The median number of days from the date the 464
Division of Medicaid or the Department of Human Services initiates 465
verification of an eligibility error flagged by a database or 466
source until the date that verification is completed; 467
(iii) The percentage of verifications of 468
eligibility errors flagged by a database or source that were 469
completed within thirty (30) days, within sixty (60) days and 470
within ninety (90) days; and 471
(iv) The number of verifications of eligibility 472
errors flagged by a database or source that remain pending for 473
longer than ninety (90) days as of the first day of February in 474
the year the report is due; 475
(o) A comparison of the data reported under this 476
subsection with the preceding year's report, highlighting trends 477
in match volumes, error rates and recovery outcomes; 478
(p) A summary of corrective actions identified in the 479
prior annual report and the status of their implementation; and 480
(q) A brief narrative describing material delays, 481
impediments or systemic data quality issues encountered during the 482
past twelve (12) months, corrective actions taken to address such 483
issues, interagency or multistate cooperative activities 484
undertaken and recommendations for statutory, regulatory or 485
operational changes to improve program integrity and timeliness. 486
S. B. No. 2451 *SS26/R881* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R881
PAGE 20 (baf\tb)

(3) The report required under subsection (1) of this section 487
shall be de-identified to prevent identification of individual 488
recipients. 489
SECTION 10. This act shall take effect and be in force from 490
and after its passage. 491