(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) As a result of federal welfare reform, unprecedented numbers of welfare recipients will be leaving welfare for work, and will face time limits on the receipt of aid.
(2) It is in the interest of the state both to encourage welfare recipients to seek employment and to ensure the continuity of health coverage for these recipients as they move from welfare to work.
(3) California’s transitional Medi-Cal program is intended to encourage welfare recipients to seek employment and to ensure continuity of health coverage, but various procedural restrictions limit its effectiveness in achieving those goals.
(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to streamline the transitional Medi-Cal program in order to maximize its effectiveness in assisting persons leaving welfare for work.