STATE OF ALASKA

Department of Health and Social Services

Division of Public Assistance

TRANSMITTAL NUMBER:  MC Manual Change #17

MANUAL:  Aged, Disabled and Long Term Care Medicaid Eligibility Manual

Date:  October 1, 2010

We are making several changes to incorporate new policy, clarify existing policy, and align policies within our program manuals. This includes:

• The Long Term Care income limit will change to 300% of the prevailing SSI standard as of September 1, 2010.

• A written request from the recipient is a valid reason to end a child's continuous eligibility period.

• Individuals who receive SSDI, SSI, or Medicaid are only exempt from verifying their citizenship status if they claim to be a U.S. citizen or national. Non-citizens must still verify their alien status.

• A new section explains how to handle trust document changes.

• The person to contact in Division of Health Care Services (DHCS) when a transfer of assets penalty is imposed has changed.

Other changes are either technical in nature or clarifications that are the result of policy questions or suggestions from the field.

Highlights of these policy revisions are described below. If you have any questions please contact the Policy and Program Development Team at 465-3382 or email dpapolicy@alaska.gov.

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

MS 515  Continuous Eligibility for Children

1. • Adds "written request from the recipient requesting case closure" as a reason to end the continuous eligibility period.
   • Clarifies that the continuous eligibility period applies to all individuals under age 19, even if the individual is the Primary Information (PI) person on their own case.

MS 516  Retroactive Medicaid

1. • Clarifies that a client can request retroactive Medicaid at any time, even if they have been denied previously for failing to provide requested verification. The caseworker can determine eligibility for the three months prior to any application for Medicaid.

1. • Clarifies that client statement is allowed regarding the value of a resource, unless questionable.

1. • Clarifies that the individual requesting retroactive Medicaid must meet all of the requirements for the Medicaid category, both financial and non-financial.

MS 520B  U.S. Citizenship and Eligible Alien Status

1. • Clarifies that recipients of SSDI, SSI, or Medicare are exempt from verifying their U.S. citizenship but this exemption only applies to individuals that claim to be U.S. citizens or nationals. Non-citizens must still verify their alien status.
   • Clarifies that "individuals that have received a 90-day period to provide proof of U.S. citizenship are not entitled to receive this again". No further Medicaid benefits will be authorized for the individuals until verification of their U.S. citizenship is received.

MS 528A  Initial Case Processing

1. • Clarifies that the trust document should be sent to DHCS / TPL Unit once policy has approved the trust and the Medicaid case has been approved.

MS 528B  Processing APA Related Medicaid Case with Trusts

1. • Clarifies that the trust reporting form that needs to be sent to the TPL Unit is provided to the Eligibility Technician by policy in an email when the trust is approved.

MS 528G  Trust Changes

1. • Adds a new section to explain how to handle changes that occur to trust documents.

MS 550C  Special Long Term Care Eligibility Category

1. • Updates the Long Term Care income limit to 300% of the prevailing SSI standard, which increases each year.

MS 554D  Look-Back Period

1. • Clarifies that a transfer of property can occur before the transfer is officially recorded. The look-back period is measured from the date the transfer of property actually occurred, not necessarily when the transfer was officially recorded. An unrecorded conveyance is valid.

MS 554L  Transfer Penalty and Partial Months

1. • Changes the person to contact in Health Care Services when a transfer of assets penalty is imposed.

MS 580B  Special Low Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB and SLMB Plus)

1. • Clarifies that policy will notify staff if SLMB Plus reaches its annual spending limit before the end of the calendar year.

Addendum 1

1. • Updates the Long Term Care income limit to 300% of the prevailing SSI standard as of September 1, 2010.