WSR 09-08-082

EMERGENCY RULES

DEPARTMENT OF

SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Aging and Disability Services Administration)

[ Filed March 30, 2009, 1:04 p.m. , effective April 1, 2009 ]


     Effective Date of Rule: April 1, 2009.

     Purpose: The department is amending WAC 388-515-1507 What are the financial requirements for home and community based (HCB) services when you are eligible for a noninstitutional categorically needy (CN) medicaid program?

     DSHS is amending this rule as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved healthcare for workers with disabilities (HWD) eligibility to be included in the financial eligibility for the categorically needy (CN) home and community program waiver. This change is effective April 1, 2009, as authorized under section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-515-1507.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, and 74.09.530.

     Other Authority: Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act.

     Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds 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: This emergency rule implements changes made to the home and community program waiver by CMS, as authorized under section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.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: March 25, 2009.

Stephanie E. Schiller

Rules Coordinator

4079.2
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 08-22-052, filed 11/3/08, effective 12/4/08)

WAC 388-515-1507   What are the financial requirements for home and community based (HCB) services when you are eligible for a noninstitutional categorically needy (CN) medicaid program?   (1) You are eligible for medicaid under one of the following programs:

     (a) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility described in WAC 388-474-0001. This includes SSI clients under 1619B status;

     (b) SSI-related CN medicaid described in WAC 388-475-0100 (2)(a) and (b);

     (c) SSI-related healthcare for workers with disabilities program (HWD) described in WAC 388-475-1000. If you are receiving HWD you are responsible to pay your HWD premium as described in WAC 388-475-1250. This change is effective April 1, 2009;

     (d) General assistance expedited medicaid disability (GAX) or general assistance based on aged/blind/disabled criteria described in WAC 388-505-0110(6) and are receiving CN medicaid.

     (2) You are not subject to a penalty period of ineligibility for the transfer of an asset as described in WAC 388-513-1363 through 388-513-1366. This does not apply to PACE or hospice services.

     (3) You do not have a home with equity in excess of the requirements described in WAC 388-513-1350.

     (4) You do not have to meet the initial eligibility income test of having gross income at or below the special income level (SIL).

     (5) You do not pay (participate) toward the cost of your personal care services.

     (6) If you live in a department contracted facility listed in WAC 388-515-1506 (1)(g), you pay room and board up to the ADSA room and board standard. The ADSA room and board standard is based on the federal benefit rate (FBR) minus the current personal needs allowance (PNA) for HCS CN waivers in an alternate living facility.

     (a) If you live in an assisted living (AL) facility, enhanced adult residential center (EARC), or adult family home (AFH) you keep a PNA of sixty-two dollars and seventy-nine cents and use your income to pay up to the room and board standard.

     (b) If subsection (6)(a) applies and you are receiving HWD described in WAC 388-475-1000 you are responsible to pay your HWD premium as described in WAC 388-475-1250 in addition to the room and board standard.

     (7) If you are eligible for general assistance expedited medicaid disability (GAX) or general assistance based on aged/blind/disabled criteria described in WAC 388-505-0110(6), you do not participate in the cost of personal care and you may keep the following:

     (a) When you live at home, you keep the cash grant amount authorized under the general assistance program;

     (b) When you live in an AFH, you keep a PNA of thirty-eight dollars and eighty-four cents, and pay any remaining income and general assistance grant to the facility for the cost of room and board up to the ADSA room and board standard; or

     (c) When you live in an assisted living facility or enhanced adult residential center, you are only eligible to receive a cash grant of thirty-eight dollars and eighty-four cents, which you keep for your PNA.

     (8) Current resource and income standards are located at: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/manuals/eaz/sections/LongTermCare/LTCstandardspna.shtml.

     (9) Current PNA and ADSA room and board standards are located at: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/manuals/eaz/sections/LongTermCare/ltcstandardsPNAchartsubfile.shtml.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, and 74.09.530 and Washington state 2007-09 operating budget (SHB 1128). 08-22-052, § 388-515-1507, filed 11/3/08, effective 12/4/08.]

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