Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 319a - Child Welfare
Section 17a-120. (Formerly Sec. 17-44e). - Medical expense subsidy for blind, physically or mentally disabled, emotionally maladjusted or high risk children.

(a) Any child who is blind or physically disabled as defined by section 1-1f, mentally disabled, seriously emotionally maladjusted or has a recognized high risk of physical or mental disability as defined in the regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Children and Families pursuant to section 17a-118, who is to be given or has been given in adoption by a statutory parent, as defined in section 45a-707, shall be eligible for a one hundred per cent medical expense subsidy in accordance with the fee schedule and payment procedures under the state Medicaid program administered by the Department of Social Services where such condition existed prior to such adoption, provided such expenses are not reimbursed by health insurance, or federal or state payments for health care. Application for such subsidy shall be made to the Commissioner of Children and Families by such child's adopting or adoptive parent or parents. Said commissioner shall adopt regulations governing the procedures for application and criteria for determination of the existence of such condition. A written determination of eligibility shall be made by said commissioner and may be made prior to or after identification of the adopting parent or parents. Upon a finding of eligibility, an application for such medical expense subsidy by the adopting or adoptive parent or parents on behalf of the child shall be granted, and such adopting or adoptive parent or parents shall be issued a medical identification card for such child by the Department of Children and Families for the purpose of providing for payment for the medical expense subsidy. The subsidy set forth in this section shall not preclude the granting of either subsidy set forth in section 17a-117 except, if the child is eligible for subsidy under this section, the child's adopting parent or parents shall not be granted a subsidy or subsidies set forth in section 17a-117 that would be granted for the same purposes as the child's subsidy.

(b) There shall be an annual review of the medical expense subsidy set forth in subsection (a) of this section by the Commissioner of Children and Families. If, upon such annual review, the commissioner determines that the child continues to have a condition for which the subsidy was granted or has medical conditions related to such condition, and that the adoptive parent or parents are still legally responsible for the support of the child and that the child is receiving support from the adoptive family, the commissioner shall not terminate or reduce such subsidy. If the condition is corrected and conditions related to it no longer exist, or if the adoptive parent or parents are no longer legally responsible for the support of the child or if the child is no longer receiving any support from the adoptive family, the commissioner may reduce or terminate eligibility for such subsidy. If, following such reduction or termination, such condition or related conditions reoccur, the adopting or adoptive parent or parents may reapply for such subsidy. Upon receipt of such application and determination that such condition or related conditions have reoccurred, the commissioner shall grant such subsidy provided the adoptive parent or parents are still legally responsible for the support of the child or the child is receiving support from the adoptive family. If the subsidy is to be reduced or terminated by said commissioner, notice of such proposed reduction or termination shall be given, in writing, to the adoptive parent or parents and such adoptive parent or parents shall, at least thirty days prior to the imposition of said reduction or termination, be provided a hearing by the department in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54. If such an appeal is taken, the subsidy shall continue without modification or termination until the final decision of the department. Eligibility for such subsidy may continue until the child's twenty-first birthday if the condition that caused the child to be certified as a special needs child or related conditions continue to exist or have reoccurred and the child continues to qualify as a dependent of the legal adoptive parent under the Internal Revenue Code. In no case shall the eligibility for such subsidy continue beyond the child's twenty-first birthday.
(P.A. 78-266; P.A. 81-403, S. 1; P.A. 86-330, S. 6, 9; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-262, S. 1, 87; P.A. 15-199, S. 9; P.A. 16-28, S. 33; P.A. 17-81, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 81-403 amended Subsec. (a) to allow determination of the child's eligibility before identification of the adopting parents and to specify that the medical expenses subsidy does not preclude either subsidy under Sec. 17-44b unless the subsidies would be granted for the same purposes as the medical expense subsidy, specified in Subsec. (b) that the commissioner make adjustments in the subsidy based on whether the child continues to have a handicap or medical conditions related to a handicap and whether the adoptive parents are still legally responsible for the child and are supporting the child and allowed the commissioner to continue the subsidy until the child's twenty-first birthday under certain circumstances; P.A. 86-330 applied provisions to mentally disabled, emotionally maladjusted and high risk children, added a reference to provisions of Sec. 17-44c, replaced term “handicap” with “condition”, required in Subsec. (b) a hearing before the adoption subsidy review board 30, rather than 10, days prior to the reduction or termination of the subsidy and required the subsidy to continue until the final decision of the board and permitted eligibility for the subsidy to continue until child's twenty-first, rather than eighteenth, birthday if child is still a special needs child and qualifies as a dependent, effective April 1, 1987; Sec. 17-44e transferred to Sec. 17a-120 in 1991; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 15-199 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Adoption Subsidy Review Board” with “Subsidy Review Board”, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 16-28 amended Subsec. (a) by making a technical change; P.A. 17-81 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “given a hearing before the Subsidy Review Board” with “provided a hearing by the department in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54”, and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2017.
See Sec. 17a-118 re responsibility of Department of Children and Families for adoption assistance agreement and subsidy payment.

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