Developmental Disabilities Services - Expedited Eligibility Determinations for Recently Relocated Individuals (Ralph's Act)

The purpose statement was rewritten to explicitly require the Maryland Department of Health to provide expedited Medicaid eligibility determinations for recently relocated individuals with developmental disabilities.

The bill was changed to authorize the Department to begin the eligibility determination process before an individual officially establishes residency in the state, allowing for earlier intervention.

A new provision was added stating that while the expedited process is streamlined, the Department cannot waive substantive eligibility requirements or service priority category regulations established by law.

The legislative mechanism was changed from adding a new section to repealing and reenacting existing sections of the Health General Article, likely to correct statutory citations or align with current code structure.

Definitions were added and clarified, specifically defining 'dependent' to include individuals relying on immediate family members who are residents or legal guardians, and expanding the list of 'immediate family members'.

New procedural requirements were added to mandate that the Department prioritize completed applications, rely on documentation from the individual's previous state of residence, and complete each expedited determination within 60 business days.