The executive commissioner shall seek a waiver under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1315) to the state Medicaid plan that is designed to achieve the following objectives regarding Medicaid and alternatives to Medicaid:
(1) provide flexibility to determine Medicaid eligibility categories and income levels;
(2) provide flexibility to design Medicaid benefits that meet the demographic, public health, clinical, and cultural needs of this state or regions within this state;
(3) encourage use of the private health benefits coverage market rather than public benefits systems;
(4) encourage individuals who have access to private employer-based health benefits to obtain or maintain those benefits;
(5) create a culture of shared financial responsibility, accountability, and participation in Medicaid by:
(A) establishing and enforcing copayment requirements similar to private sector principles for all eligibility groups;
(B) promoting the use of health savings accounts to influence a culture of individual responsibility; and
(C) promoting the use of vouchers for consumer-directed services in which consumers manage and pay for health-related services provided to them using program vouchers;
(6) consolidate federal funding streams, including funds from the disproportionate share hospitals and upper payment limit supplemental payment programs and other federal Medicaid funds, to ensure the most effective and efficient use of those funding streams;
(7) allow flexibility in the use of state funds used to obtain federal matching funds, including allowing the use of intergovernmental transfers, certified public expenditures, costs not otherwise matchable, or other funds and funding mechanisms to obtain federal matching funds;
(8) empower individuals who are uninsured to acquire health benefits coverage through the promotion of cost-effective coverage models that provide access to affordable primary, preventive, and other health care on a sliding scale, with fees paid at the point of service; and
(9) allow for the redesign of long-term care services and supports to increase access to patient-centered care in the most cost-effective manner.

Text of section effective on April 01, 2025