STATE OF ALASKA
Department of Health and Social Services
Division of Public Assistance
TRANSMITTAL NUMBER: MC #58
MANUAL: Aged, Disabled and Long Term Care Medicaid Eligibility Manual
DATE: December 1, 2021
This year Social Security announced a Cost of Living Allowance (COLACost of Living Allowance) increase effective January 2022. We have updated Addendum 1 and the examples throughout the manual with the following items to reflect the 5.9% increase for 2022:
- An increase to the Long Term Care community spouse resource and income allowance and household member standards;
- An increase to the Excess Home Equity resources maximum;
- An increase to the Special Long Term Care Income Standard;
- Changes in Medicare Part A and B premiums; and
- Changes in Medicare Part D premium and coverage information, including changes to the Low-Income Subsidy program
This manual change also consists of several small technical changes or clarifications as a result of suggestions from the field. Highlights of these revisions are described below. If you have any questions please contact the Policy and Program Development Team at e-mail dpapolicy@alaska.gov.
OVERVIEW OF CHANGES
512 SOCIAL SECURITY ENUMERATION
- Renamed section to align with MAGIModified Adjusted Gross Income Medicaid Manual
- Added link to new Addendum 9 for the notice template when they must request a SSNSocial Security Number from the SSASocial Security Administration
520 A APPLICATION AND REVIEW PROCESS
- Revised section for clarity
- Clarified that telephonically recorded application signatures are accepted through the Virtual Call Center (VCC)
- Revised note to clarify that for paper applications, the signature must either be telephonically recorded by a caseworker through the VCCVirtual Call Center or a "wet signature"
522 A SPECIAL NON-IMMIGRANT GROUPS
- Clarified that although a COFACompact of Free Association migrant is exempt from the five-year waiting period, if their status changes to a qualified alien as outlined in APA MS 421-2, the five-year waiting period will apply unless they meet an exemption listed in APA MS 421-4(D).
554 D LOOK BACK PERIOD
- Updated example due to COLACost of Living Allowance change
570 C INDIVIDUALS NOT SUBJECT TO COST-OF-CARE
- Clarified that individuals receiving Medicaid in the Refused Cash category are not responsible for cost-of-care
570 E INDIVIDUALS NOT SUBJECT TO COST-OF-CARE
- Updated ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program ANIAdult Not Included standard due to COLACost of Living Allowance change
570 H NURSING HOME EXAMPLES
- Updated example due to COLACost of Living Allowance change
570 J HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED WAIVER CASE EXAMPLES
- Updated example due to COLACost of Living Allowance change
580 MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAMS
- Updated QMBQualified Medicare Beneficiaries and SLMBSpecified Low Income Medicare Beneficiaries resource limits
ADDENDUM 1
- Updated standards due to COLACost of Living Allowance change
- Updated Medicare Part A, Part B, and Part D premiums for 2022
- Updated 2022 Spousal Impoverishment Standards
ADDENDUM 2
- Changed terminology to "ineligible non-immigrants" for Medicaid Subtypes IL and II due to COFACompact of Free Association migrants
ADDENDUM 9
- Added a new addendum for the social security enumeration request letter template