,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajii  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #ac1    
#bjba,mr4 ,casey 7for himself1 ,ms4     
,smith1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mrs4        
,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mrs4    
,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1  
,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1   
and ,ms4 ,duckworth7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,finance 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xix of the 
,social ,security ,act to make permanent
 the protections under ,medicaid for    
recipients of home and community-based  
services against spousal impoverishment4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,protecting ,married       
,seniors ,from ,impoverishment ,act4    
#b4 ,making permanent the protection    
under ,medicaid for recipients of home  
and community-based services against    
spousal impoverishment  7a7 ,in general 
,section #aibd7;h77#a77;,a7 of the      
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   

#acifr-#e7;h77#a77;,a77 is amended by   
striking 7at the option of the ,state7  
is described in section                 
#aijb7;a77#aj77;,a77ii77,,vi7 and       
inserting the following3 is eligible for
 medical assistance for home and        
community-based services provided under 
subsection 7c71 7d71 or 7i7 of section  
#aiae1 under a waiver approved under    
section #aaae1 or who is eligible for   
such medical assistance by reason of    
being determined eligible under section 
#aijb7;a77#aj77;,c7 or by reason of     
section #aijb7;f7 or otherwise on the   
basis of a reduction of income based on 
costs incurred for medical or other     
remedial care1 or who is eligible for   
medical assistance for home and         
community-based attendant services and  
supports under section #aiae7k74  7b7   
,conforming amendment ,section #bdjd of 
the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable
 ,care ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acifr-#e    
note7 is amended by striking ,september 
#cj1 #bjbc and inserting the date of the

 enactment of the ,protecting ,married  
,seniors ,from ,impoverishment ,act4    
7c7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in   
section #aibd of the ,social ,security  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acifr-#e7 or       
section #aijb7;a77#ag7 of such ,act 7#db
 ,u4,s4,c4 #acif;a7a77#ag77 shall be    
construed as prohibiting a ,state from  
applying an income or resource disregard
 authorized under section #aijb7r77#b7  
of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4             
#acif;a7r77#b77-- 7#a7 to the income or 
resources of individuals described in   
section #aijb7;a77#aj77;,a77ii77,,vi7 of
 such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4               
#acif;a7a77#aj77;,a77ii77,,vi77         
7including a disregard of the income or 
resources of such individual's spouse72 
or  7#b7 on the basis of an individual's
 need for home and community-based      
services authorized under subsection    
7c71 7d71 7i71 or 7k7 of section #aiae  
of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acifn7 or  
under section #aaae of such ,act 7#db   
,u4,s4,c4 #acae74