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In the last legislative session, DRC sponsored AB 1235 (Gipson) that would have increased the Home Upkeep Allowance to allow Medi-Cal recipients in nursing homes to retain funds to use to return to their home or to obtain a home for their return. That bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee last year after only receiving one “no” vote in the Assembly and the Senate Health Committee. Assembly Member Gipson has reintroduced this legislation again as AB 286.

This bill has been amended from last year’s bill to tie the allowance to 100% of the federal poverty level, which would raise the amount from $209 per month to $990. This is a lower amount than previously proposed in AB 1235 after receiving some informal technical assistance from the California Department of Health Care Services last year indicating that the lower amount may be feasible. Inasmuch as the Home Upkeep Allowance has remained unchanged since the 1970s, this increase could provide a significant opportunity for nursing home residents who can return to their homes.