STATE OF ALASKA

Department of Health and Social Services

Division of Public Assistance

TRANSMITTAL NUMBER:   MC Manual Change #40

MANUAL:  Family Medicaid

DATE:  February 20, 2009

Denali KidCare, Transitional Medicaid, and Self-Employment Annualization income standards are based upon the Federal Poverty Guidelines ( FPG Federal Poverty Guidelines ) for Alaska as set each year by the U.S. United States Department of Health and Human Services.  We have updated the charts in Addendum 1 and 2 to reflect these changes which take effect March 1, 2009.

In addition to other technical changes, the section on conducting interviews was revised to correctly describe the date the denial notice is sent for a request for service application.  The verification section in Chapter 5005 was also updated to add information about the SOLQ State On-Line Query interface and remove obsolete information about the Senior Benefit interface.  We also clarified several sections by changing the word ”deem” to ”consider”, when the intent is to count income and resources in full, as opposed to counting them partially by formula.  In some sections a phrase about deeming is eliminated where it no longer applies (as in sibling deeming).

In response to questions from field staff this manual change includes information on how Refugee Cash Assistance and one-time Refugee Resettlement payments are treated for the Family Medicaid program.

Other technical revisions include changing the name of the former medical services contractor First Health to the new contractor Affiliated Computer Systems, and replacing the term Specified Relative to Caretaker Relative wherever found.

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 5005-4 E  Conducting Interviews

1. • Clarifies the timing of the automatic application denial for no interview when the Medicaid application is registered as a request for service (RM).

MS 5005-5 B  Information from Data Systems and EIS Eligibility Information System Interfaces

1. • Adds information about the State Online Query ( SOLQ State On-Line Query ) interface and clarifies that caseworkers need to check Social Security interfaces only when it appears the applicant or recipient could be eligible for Social Security benefits.

   • Adds note to clarify that the SOLQ State On-Line Query interface may be used only to determine eligibility for the Alaska Temporary Assistance, Food Stamp, Medicaid, and Adult Public Assistance programs.

   • Reformats EIS Eligibility Information System Interface table to clarify that the SDX State Data Exchange , PFD Permanent Fund Dividend , and DOL Department of Labor and Workforce Development Wage Match information is accessed through the Interface Inquiry (ININ) item on the INME.  

   • Adds SVES State Verification Exchange System and SOLQ State On-Line Query to the EIS Eligibility Information System Interfaces table.

   • Removes obsolete information about the Senior Benefits program interface.  Since DPA Division of Public Assistance is now administering the program, the interface is no longer available.

MS 5156-2  Lump Sum Payments

1. • Adds refugee resettlement payments to examples and points out that lump sum payments are exempt as income.

MS 5156-5  Resources of Stepparents

1. • Clarifies that it is the children’s eligibility that needs to be redetermined when a stepparent’s separate resources cause the household to exceed the resource limit.

MS 5161-3  Loans

1. • Removes requirement that written documentation from the lender and borrower be provided.  The bona fide nature of a loan must still be verified, but this may be done through other means, such as collateral contacts with the borrower and lender.

MS 5161-19  Non-recurring Lump Sum Payments-  

1. • Adds refugee resettlement payments to examples and points out that lump sum payments are exempt as income.

MS 5161-25  Refugee Cash Assistance

1. • Adds Refugee Cash Assistance as a new subsection under Exempt Income.

Addendum 1  Denali KidCare Income Standards

1. • Updates Denali KidCare income standards to reflect the poverty guideline changes for 2009.

Addendum 2  Family Medicaid Income Standards

1. • Updates Self-Employment and Transitional Medicaid income standards to reflect the poverty guideline changes for 2009.