Purpose: To change personal needs allowance allowed in a medical facility for nongeneral assistance clients to the following: Forty-one dollars and sixty-two cents for clients receiving general assistance, and fifty-one dollars and sixty-two cents for all other clients residing in a medical facility effective July 1, 2005. This also continues the April 1, 2005, changes to the community spouse income and family standard ($1604) and the community spouse excess shelter standard ($481). This filing replaces the emergency rules filed as WSR 05-13-062.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-513-1380 Determining a client's participation in the cost of care for long-term care (LTC) services.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.09.500, and 74.09.530.

     Other Authority: Chapter 518, Laws of 2005.

     Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest; and that state or federal law or federal rule or a federal deadline for state receipt of federal funds requires immediate adoption of a rule.

     Reasons for this Finding: To make this rule consistent with legislative mandate (2005 supplemental budget, section 207, chapter 518, Laws of 2005) to increase personal needs allowance for institutional medical clients. Implementation of the April 1, 2005, federal changes to the institutional Medicaid standard and community spouse income and family allocation and excess shelter standard is required by the state in order to ensure the continued receipt of federal funds, under 42 U.S.C. chapter 7.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: June 17, 2005.

Andy Fernando, Manager

Rules and Policies Assistance Unit

     (1) For a client receiving institutional or hospice services in a medical facility, the department applies all subsections of this rule.

     (2) For a client receiving waivered services at home or in an alternate living facility, the department applies only those subsections of this rule that are cited in the rules for those programs.

     (3) For a client receiving hospice services at home, the department applies rules used for the community options program entry system (COPES).

     (4) Excess resources are reduced in an amount equal to incurred medical expenses (for definition see WAC 388-519-0110(10)) that are not subject to third-party payment and for which the client is liable, including:

     (a) Health insurance and Medicare premiums, deductions, and co-insurance charges;

     (b) Necessary medical care recognized under state law, but not covered under the state's Medicaid plan; and

     (c) The amount of excess resources is limited to the following amounts:

     (i) For LTC services provided under the categorically needy (CN) program, the amount described in WAC 388-513-1315(3); or

     (ii) For LTC services provided under the medically needy (MN) program, the amount described in WAC 388-513-1395 (2)(a) or (b).

     (5) The department allocates nonexcluded income up to a total of the medically needy income level (MNIL) in the following order:

     (a) A personal needs allowance (PNA) of:

     (i) One hundred sixty dollars for a client living in a state veterans' home;

     (ii) Ninety dollars for a veteran or a veteran's surviving spouse, who receives a VA improved pension and does not live in a state veterans' home; or

     (iii) Forty-one dollars and sixty-two cents for all ((other)) clients in a medical facility receiving general assistance.

     (iv) Fifty-one dollars and sixty-two cents for all other clients in a medical facility effective July 1, 2005.

     (b) Federal, state, or local income taxes owed by the client.

     (c) Wages for a client who:

     (i) Is related to the supplemental security income (SSI) program as described in WAC 388-503-0510(1); and

     (ii) Receives the wages as part of a department-approved training or rehabilitative program designed to prepare the client for a less restrictive placement. When determining this deduction employment expenses are not deducted.

     (d) Guardianship fees and administrative costs including any attorney fees paid by the guardian, after June 15, 1998, only as allowed by chapter 388-79 WAC.

     (6) The department allocates nonexcluded income after deducting amounts described in subsection (5) in the following order:

     (a) Income garnisheed for child support:

     (i) For the time period covered by the PNA; and

     (ii) Not deducted under another provision in the post-eligibility process.

     (b) A monthly maintenance needs allowance for the community spouse not to exceed, effective January 1, 2005, two thousand three hundred seventy-eight dollars, unless a greater amount is allocated as described in subsection (8) of this section. The monthly maintenance needs allowance:

     (i) Consists of a combined total of both:

     (A) An amount added to the community spouse's gross income to provide a total of one thousand ((five)) six hundred ((sixty-two)) four dollars, effective April 1, 2005; and

     (B) Excess shelter expenses as specified under subsection (7) of this section; and

     (ii) Is allowed only to the extent the client's income is made available to the community spouse.

     (c) A monthly maintenance needs amount for each minor or dependent child, dependent parent or dependent sibling of the community or institutionalized spouse who:

     (i) Resides with the community spouse, equal to one-third of the amount that one thousand ((five)) six hundred ((sixty-two)) four dollars (effective April 1, 2005) exceeds the dependent family member's income.

     (ii) Does not reside with the community spouse, equal to the MNIL for the number of dependent family members in the home less the income of the dependent family members.

     (iii) Child support received from noncustodial parent is the child's income.

     (d) Incurred medical expenses described in subsections (4)(a) and (b) not used to reduce excess resources.

     (e) Maintenance of the home of a single client or institutionalized couple:

     (i) Up to one hundred percent of the one-person federal poverty level per month;

     (ii) Limited to a six-month period;

     (iii) When a physician has certified that the client is likely to return to the home within the six-month period; and

     (iv) When social services staff documents initial need for the income exemption and reviews the client's circumstances after ninety days.

     (7) For the purposes of this section, "excess shelter expenses" means the actual expenses under subsection (7)(b) less the standard shelter allocation under subsection (7)(a). For the purposes of this rule:

     (a) The standard shelter allocation is four hundred ((sixty-nine)) eighty-one dollars, effective April 1, ((2004)) 2005; and

     (b) Shelter expenses are the actual required maintenance expenses for the community spouse's principal residence for:

     (i) Rent;

     (ii) Mortgage;

     (iii) Taxes and insurance;

     (iv) Any maintenance care for a condominium or cooperative; and

     (v) The food stamp standard utility allowance for four persons, provided the utilities are not included in the maintenance charges for a condominium or cooperative.

     (8) The amount allocated to the community spouse may be greater than the amount in subsection (6)(b) only when:

     (a) A court enters an order against the client for the support of the community spouse; or

     (b) A hearings officer determines a greater amount is needed because of exceptional circumstances resulting in extreme financial duress.

     (9) A client who is admitted to a medical facility for ninety days or less and continues to receive full SSI benefits is not required to use the SSI income in the cost of care for medical services. Income allocations are allowed as described in this section from non-SSI income.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). 05-07-033, § 388-513-1380, filed 3/9/05, effective 4/9/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, 74.09.575; 2003 1st sp.s. c 28, and section 1924 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396R-5). 04-04-072, § 388-513-1380, filed 2/2/04, effective 3/4/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500 and Section 1924 (42 U.S.C. 1396R-5). 01-18-055, § 388-513-1380, filed 8/30/01, effective 9/30/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, and Section 1924(g) of the Social Security Act. 00-17-058, § 388-513-1380, filed 8/9/00, effective 9/9/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 72.36.160, 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500 and Section 1924(g) of the Social Security Act, Section 4715 of the BBA of 1997 (Public Law 105-33, HR 2015). 99-11-017, § 388-513-1380, filed 5/10/99, effective 6/10/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, 43.20B.460, 11.92.180, and Section 1924 (42 USC 396r-5). 98-08-077, § 388-513-1380, filed 3/31/98, effective 4/1/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.530 and Social Security Act, Federal Register, March 10, 1997, pgs. 10856 - 10859, 42 U.S.C. 1396 (a)(l)(m). 97-16-008, § 388-513-1380, filed 7/24/97, effective 7/24/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and Title XIX State Agency Letter 95-44. 96-09-033 (Order 3963), § 388-513-1380, filed 4/10/96, effective 5/11/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 95-11-045 (Order 3848), § 388-513-1380, filed 5/10/95, effective 6/10/95. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and Title XIX State Agency Letter 94-49, notice of increase in SSI level. 95-05-022 (Order 3832), § 388-513-1380, filed 2/8/95, effective 3/11/95. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 94-10-065 (Order 3732), § 388-513-1380, filed 5/3/94, effective 6/3/94. Formerly WAC 388-95-360.]

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