Purpose: To reinstate twelve-month continuous eligibility for children's medical.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-418-0025 Effect of changes on medical program eligibility, 388-505-0210 Children's medical eligibility, and 388-523-0130 Medical extension -- Redetermination.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.415, and 74.09.530.

     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.

     Reasons for this Finding: The governor has directed the Department of Social and Health Services to reinstate twelve-month continuous eligibility for the children's medical programs.

     Observing the time requirements of regular rule-making procedures would prevent the department from implementing the governor's directive timely and thereby prevent potentially eligible children to continue on Medicaid. Therefore, immediate adoption of the proposed amendments is necessary to implement the governor's directive in a timely manner.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 3, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 3, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: June 16, 2005.

Andy Fernando, Manager

Rules and Policies Assistance Unit

     (a) A CN Medicaid program; or

     (b) Any of the following cash grants:

     (i) TANF;

     (ii) SSI; or

     (iii) GA-X. See WAC 388-434-0005 for changes reported during eligibility review.

     (2) If you become ineligible for refugee cash assistance, refugee medical assistance can be continued through the eight-month limit, as described in WAC 388-400-0035(4).

     (3) If you receive a TANF cash grant or family medical, you are eligible for a medical extension, as described under WAC 388-523-0100, when your cash grant or family medical program is terminated as a result of:

     (a) Earned income; or

     (b) Collection of child or spousal support.

     (4) A change in income during a certification period does affect eligibility for all medical programs except:

     (a) Pregnant women's medical programs;

     (b) Children's medical for newborns (F05); ((or))

     (c) Children's medical benefits (F06); or

     (d) The first six months of the medical extension benefits.

     (5) For a child receiving benefits under SCHIP as described in chapter 388-542 WAC, the department must redetermine eligibility for a Medicaid program when the family reports:

     (a) Family income has decreased to less than two hundred percent Federal Poverty Level (FPL);

     (b) The child becomes pregnant;

     (c) A change in family size; or

     (d) The child receives SSI.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.530, and 2003 c 10. 04-03-019, § 388-418-0025, filed 1/12/04, effective 2/12/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.08A.100, 74.09.080, and 74.09.415. 02-17-030, § 388-418-0025, filed 8/12/02, effective 9/12/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090 and 74.09.450. 00-08-002, § 388-418-0025, filed 3/22/00, effective 5/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057 and Section 4731 of the BBA (Public Law 105-33). 99-10-064, § 388-418-0025, filed 5/3/99, effective 6/3/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-418-0025, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98. Formerly WAC 388-508-0840, 388-509-0920, 388-509-0960, 388-522-2205 and 388-522-2210.]

     (a) The child's mother was eligible for and receiving coverage under a medical program at the time of the child's birth; and

     (b) The child remains with the mother and resides in the state.

     (2) Children under the age of nineteen are eligible for CN medical assistance when they meet the requirements for:

     (a) Citizenship or U.S. national status as defined in WAC 388-424-0001 or "qualified alien" status as described in WAC 388-424-0006 (1) or (4);

     (b) State residence as described in chapter 388-468 WAC;

     (c) A social security number as described in chapter 388-476 WAC; and

     (d) Family income levels as described in WAC 388-478-0075 (1)(c) at each application or review.

     (3) Children under the age of nineteen are eligible for the state children's health insurance program (SCHIP), as described in chapter 388-542 WAC, when:

     (a) They meet the requirements of subsection (2)(a), (b), and (c) of this section;

     (b) They do not have other creditable health insurance coverage; and

     (c) Family income exceeds two hundred percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), but does not exceed two hundred fifty percent of the FPL as described in WAC 388-478-0075 (1)(c) and (d).

     (4) Children under the age of twenty-one are eligible for CN medical assistance when they meet:

     (a) Citizenship or immigrant status, state residence, and social security number requirements as described in subsection (2)(a), (b), and (c) of this section;

     (b) Income levels described in WAC 388-478-0075; and

     (c) One of the following criteria:

     (i) Reside, or are expected to reside, in a medical hospital, intermediate care facility for mentally retarded (ICF/MR), or nursing facility for thirty days or more;

     (ii) Reside in a psychiatric or chemical dependency facility for ninety days or more;

     (iii) Are in foster care; or

     (iv) Receive subsidized adoption services.

     (d) For a child meeting the criteria (c)(i) of this subsection, the only parental income the department considers available to the child is the amount the parent chooses to contribute.

     (e) For a child meeting the criteria in (c)(ii) of this subsection, parental income is counted as described in WAC 388-408-0055 (1)(c).

     (5) Children are eligible for CN medical assistance if they:

     (a) Receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments based upon their own disability; or

     (b) Received SSI cash assistance for August 1996, and except for the August 1996 passage of amendments to federal disability definitions, would be eligible for SSI cash assistance.

     (6) Children under the age of nineteen are eligible for medically needy (MN) medical assistance as defined in chapter 388-500 WAC when they:

     (a) Meet citizenship or immigrant status, state residence, and social security number requirements as described in subsection (2)(a), (b), and (c); and

     (b) Have income above the income levels described in WAC 388-478-0075 (1)(c).

     (7) A child is eligible for SSI-related MN when the child:

     (a) Meets the blind and/or disability criteria of the federal SSI program or the condition in subsection (5)(b); and

     (b) Has countable income above the level described in WAC 388-478-0070(1).

     (8) There are no resource limits for children under CN, MN, or SCHIP coverage.

     (9) Children may also be eligible for:

     (a) Family medical as described in WAC 388-505-0220; or

     (b) Medical extensions as described in WAC 388-523-0100.

     (10) Except for a client described in subsection (4)(c)(i) and (ii), an inmate of a public institution, as defined in WAC 388-500-0005, is not eligible for CN or MN medical coverage.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-057, § 388-505-0210, filed 7/13/04, effective 8/13/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.050. 03-14-107, § 388-505-0210, filed 6/30/03, effective 7/31/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.08A.100, 74.09.080, and 74.09.415. 02-17-030, § 388-505-0210, filed 8/12/02, effective 9/12/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.050, [74.04.]055, and [74.04.]057. 01-11-110, § 388-505-0210, filed 5/21/01, effective 6/21/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.08A.100. 99-17-023, § 388-505-0210, filed 8/10/99, effective 9/10/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-505-0210, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98. Formerly WAC 388-509-0905, 388-509-0910 and 388-509-0920.]

     (2) Children are eligible for twelve month continuous eligibility beginning with the first month of the medical extension period.

     (3) When a family reports a reduction of income, the family may be eligible for a family medical program instead of medical extension benefits.

     (((3))) (4) Postpartum and family planning extensions are described in WAC 388-462-0015.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 2001 c 7 § 209. 02-10-018, § 388-523-0130, filed 4/22/02, effective 5/23/02.]

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