§ 1396o.
(a)
Imposition of certain charges under plan in case of individuals described in section 1396a(a)(10)(A) or (E)
Subject to subsections (g), (i), and (j), the State plan shall provide that in the case of individuals described in subparagraph (A) or (E)(i) of
section 1396a(a)(10) of this title who are eligible under the plan—
(1)
no enrollment fee, premium, or similar charge will be imposed under the plan (except for a premium imposed under subsection (c));
(2)
no deduction, cost sharing or similar charge will be imposed under the plan with respect to—
(A)
services furnished to individuals under 18 years of age (and, at the option of the State, individuals under 21, 20, or 19 years of age, or any reasonable category of individuals 18 years of age or over),
(B)
services furnished to pregnant women, if such services relate to the pregnancy or to any other medical condition which may complicate the pregnancy, and counseling and pharmacotherapy for cessation of tobacco use by pregnant women (as defined in
section 1396d(bb) of this title) and covered outpatient drugs (as defined in subsection (k)(2) of
section 1396r–8 of this title and including nonprescription drugs described in subsection (d)(2) of such section) that are prescribed for purposes of promoting, and when used to promote, tobacco cessation by pregnant women in accordance with the Guideline referred to in
section 1396d(bb)(2)(A) of this title (or, at the option of the State, any services furnished to pregnant women),
(C)
services furnished to any individual who is an inpatient in a hospital, nursing facility, intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, or other medical institution, if such individual is required, as a condition of receiving services in such institution under the State plan, to spend for costs of medical care all but a minimal amount of his income required for personal needs,
(E)
services furnished to an individual who is receiving hospice care (as defined in section 1396d(o) of this title),
(F)
any in vitro diagnostic product described in
section 1396d(a)(3)(B) of this title that is administered during any portion of the emergency period described in such section beginning on or after
March 18, 2020 (and the administration of such product),
(G)
COVID–19 testing-related services for which payment may be made under the State plan,
(H)
during the period beginning on
March 11, 2021, and ending on the last day of the first calendar quarter that begins one year after the last day of the emergency period described in
section 1320b–5(g)(1)(B) of this title, a COVID–19 vaccine and the administration of such vaccine (for any individual eligible for medical assistance for such vaccine (and administration)),
(I)
during the period beginning on
March 11, 2021, and ending on the last day of the first calendar quarter that begins one year after the last day of the emergency period described in
section 1320b–5(g)(1)(B) of this title, testing and treatments for COVID–19, including specialized equipment and therapies (including preventive therapies), and, in the case of an individual who is diagnosed with or presumed to have COVID–19, during the period during which such individual has (or is presumed to have) COVID–19, the treatment of a condition that may seriously complicate the treatment of COVID–19, if otherwise covered under the State plan (or waiver of such plan), or
(3)
any deduction, cost sharing, or similar charge imposed under the plan with respect to other such individuals or other care and services will be nominal in amount (as determined by the Secretary in regulations which shall, if the definition of “nominal” under the regulations in effect on July 1, 1982 is changed, take into account the level of cash assistance provided in such State and such other criteria as the Secretary determines to be appropriate); except that a deduction, cost-sharing, or similar charge of up to twice the nominal amount established for outpatient services may be imposed by a State under a waiver granted by the Secretary for services received at a hospital emergency room if the services are not emergency services (referred to in paragraph (2)(D)) and the State has established to the satisfaction of the Secretary that individuals eligible for services under the plan have actually available and accessible to them alternative sources of nonemergency, outpatient services.
(b)
Imposition of certain charges under plan in case of individuals other than those described in section 1396a(a)(10)(A) or (E)
The State plan shall provide that in the case of individuals other than those described in subparagraph (A) or (E) of
section 1396a(a)(10) of this title who are eligible under the plan—
(1)
there may be imposed an enrollment fee, premium, or similar charge, which (as determined in accordance with standards prescribed by the Secretary) is related to the individual’s income,
(2)
no deduction, cost sharing, or similar charge will be imposed under the plan with respect to—
(A)
services furnished to individuals under 18 years of age (and, at the option of the State, individuals under 21, 20, or 19 years of age, or any reasonable category of individuals 18 years of age or over),
(B)
services furnished to pregnant women, if such services relate to the pregnancy or to any other medical condition which may complicate the pregnancy, and counseling and pharmacotherapy for cessation of tobacco use by pregnant women (as defined in
section 1396d(bb) of this title) and covered outpatient drugs (as defined in subsection (k)(2) of
section 1396r–8 of this title and including nonprescription drugs described in subsection (d)(2) of such section) that are prescribed for purposes of promoting, and when used to promote, tobacco cessation by pregnant women in accordance with the Guideline referred to in
section 1396d(bb)(2)(A) of this title (or, at the option of the State, any services furnished to pregnant women),
(C)
services furnished to any individual who is an inpatient in a hospital, nursing facility, intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, or other medical institution, if such individual is required, as a condition of receiving services in such institution under the State plan, to spend for costs of medical care all but a minimal amount of his income required for personal needs,
(E)
services furnished to an individual who is receiving hospice care (as defined in section 1396d(o) of this title),
(F)
any in vitro diagnostic product described in
section 1396d(a)(3)(B) of this title that is administered during any portion of the emergency period described in such section beginning on or after
March 18, 2020 (and the administration of such product),
(H)
during the period beginning on
March 11, 2021, and ending on the last day of the first calendar quarter that begins one year after the last day of the emergency period described in
section 1320b–5(g)(1)(B) of this title, a COVID–19 vaccine and the administration of such vaccine (for any individual eligible for medical assistance for such vaccine (and administration)),
(I)
during the period beginning on
March 11, 2021, and ending on the last day of the first calendar quarter that begins one year after the last day of the emergency period described in
section 1320b–5(g)(1)(B) of this title, testing and treatments for COVID–19, including specialized equipment and therapies (including preventive therapies), and, in the case of an individual who is diagnosed with or presumed to have COVID–19, during the period during which such individual has (or is presumed to have) COVID–19, the treatment of a condition that may seriously complicate the treatment of COVID–19, if otherwise covered under the State plan (or waiver of such plan), or
(3)
any deduction, cost sharing, or similar charge imposed under the plan with respect to other such individuals or other care and services will be nominal in amount (as determined by the Secretary in regulations which shall, if the definition of “nominal” under the regulations in effect on July 1, 1982 is changed, take into account the level of cash assistance provided in such State and such other criteria as the Secretary determines to be appropriate); except that a deduction, cost-sharing, or similar charge of up to twice the nominal amount established for outpatient services may be imposed by a State under a waiver granted by the Secretary for services received at a hospital emergency room if the services are not emergency services (referred to in paragraph (2)(D)) and the State has established to the satisfaction of the Secretary that individuals eligible for services under the plan have actually available and accessible to them alternative sources of nonemergency, outpatient services.
(f)
Charges imposed under waiver authority of Secretary
No deduction, cost sharing, or similar charge may be imposed under any waiver authority of the Secretary, except as provided in subsections (a)(3) and (b)(3) and section 1396o–1 of this title, unless such waiver is for a demonstration project which the Secretary finds after public notice and opportunity for comment—
(1)
will test a unique and previously untested use of copayments,
(2)
is limited to a period of not more than two years,
(3)
will provide benefits to recipients of medical assistance which can reasonably be expected to be equivalent to the risks to the recipients,
(4)
is based on a reasonable hypothesis which the demonstration is designed to test in a methodologically sound manner, including the use of control groups of similar recipients of medical assistance in the area, and
(5)
is voluntary, or makes provision for assumption of liability for preventable damage to the health of recipients of medical assistance resulting from involuntary participation.
([Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531], title XIX, § 1916, as added [Pub. L. 97–248, title I, § 131(b)], Sept. 3, 1982, [96 Stat. 367]; amended [Pub. L. 97–448, title III, § 309(b)(18)]–(20), Jan. 12, 1983, [96 Stat. 2409], 2410; [Pub. L. 99–272, title IX, § 9505(c)(2)], Apr. 7, 1986, [100 Stat. 209]; [Pub. L. 99–509, title IX, § 9403(g)(4)(B)], Oct. 21, 1986, [100 Stat. 2056]; [Pub. L. 100–203, title IV], §§ 4101(d)(1), 4211(h)(11), Dec. 22, 1987, [101 Stat. 1330–142], 1330–207; [Pub. L. 100–360, title IV, § 411(k)(2)], July 1, 1988, [102 Stat. 791]; [Pub. L. 101–239, title VI, § 6408(d)(3)], Dec. 19, 1989, [103 Stat. 2269]; [Pub. L. 105–33, title IV, § 4708(b)], Aug. 5, 1997, [111 Stat. 506]; [Pub. L. 106–170, title II, § 201(a)(3)], Dec. 17, 1999, [113 Stat. 1893]; [Pub. L. 109–171, title VI], §§ 6041(b), 6062(b), Feb. 8, 2006, [120 Stat. 84], 98; [Pub. L. 111–5, div. B, title V, § 5006(a)(1)], Feb. 17, 2009, [123 Stat. 505]; [Pub. L. 111–148, title IV, § 4107(c)(1)], Mar. 23, 2010, [124 Stat. 561]; [Pub. L. 116–127, div. F, § 6004(a)(2)(A)], Mar. 18, 2020, [134 Stat. 204]; [Pub. L. 117–2, title IX, § 9811(a)(3)(A)], Mar. 11, 2021, [135 Stat. 209]; [Pub. L. 117–169, title I, § 11405(a)(2)(A)], Aug. 16, 2022, [136 Stat. 1900].)