If a person who is incapable of acting on his own behalf and who would otherwise be eligible is discontinued from Medi-Cal eligibility because the guardian or authorized representative of the person fails or refuses to provide information needed to determine eligibility, then anyone with knowledge of the person’s need for Medi-Cal coverage may apply for retroactive eligibility for any of the three preceding months on behalf of the person. If the necessary information becomes available within three months of the application the county department shall act on the application to determine the person’s eligibility for the retroactive period.

The provisions of this section shall become inoperative to the extent that they are found to conflict with federal requirements governing federal reimbursements of state Medicaid costs.