PROPOSED RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Aging and Disability Services Administration)
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 11-02-032.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: Chapter 388-513 WAC, Long-term care services (long-term care partnership).
Hearing Location(s): Office Building 2, Auditorium, DSHS Headquarters, 1115 Washington, Olympia, WA 98504 (public parking at 11th and Jefferson. A map is available at http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/msa/rpau/RPAU-OB-2directions.html or by calling (360) 664-6094), on November 8, 2011, at 10 a.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: Not earlier than November 9, 2011.
Submit Written Comments to: DSHS Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 45850, Olympia, WA 98504-5850, delivery 1115 Washington Street S.E., Olympia, WA 98504, e-mail DSHSRPAURulesCoordinator@dshs.wa.gov, fax (360) 664-6185, by 5 p.m. on November 8, 2011.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Jennisha Johnson, DSHS rules consultant, by October 25, 2011, TTY (360) 664-6178 or (360) 664-6094 or by e-mail at jennisha.johnson@dshs.wa.gov.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The department is adding language regarding long-term care partnerships approved by the Washington state insurance commissioner based on projected 2011 implementation of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: See above.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.520.
Statute Being Implemented: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.520.
Rule is necessary because of federal law, [no further information supplied by agency].
Name of Proponent: Department of social and health services, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting, Implementation and Enforcement: Lori Rolley, P.O. Box 45600, Olympia, WA 98504-5600, (360) 725-2271.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. The preparation of a small business economic impact statement is not required, as no new costs will be imposed on small businesses or nonprofits as a result of this rule amendment.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. Rules are exempt per RCW 34.05.328 (5)(b)(v), rules the content of which is explicitly and specifically dictated by statute.
October 3, 2011
Katherine I. Vasquez
Rules Coordinator
4322.3The following rules govern long-term care eligibility under the long-term care partnership program:
(1) WAC 388-513-1405 Definitions.
(2) WAC 388-513-1410 What qualifies as a LTC partnership policy?
(3) WAC 388-513-1415 What assets can't be protected under the LTC partnership provisions?
(4) WAC 388-513-1420 Who is eligible for asset protection under a LTC partnership policy?
(5) WAC 388-513-1425 When would I not qualify for LTC medicaid if I have a LTC partnership policy that does not have exhausted benefits?
(6) WAC 388-513-1430 What change of circumstances must I report when I have a LTC partnership policy paying a portion of my care?
(7) WAC 388-513-1435 Will Washington recognize a LTC partnership policy purchased in another state?
(8) WAC 388-513-1440 How many of my assets can be protected?
(9) WAC 388-513-1445 How do I designate a protected asset and what proof is required?
(10) WAC 388-513-1450 How does transfer of assets affect LTC partnership and medicaid eligibility?
(11) WAC 388-513-1455 If I have protected assets under a LTC partnership policy, what happens after my death?
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"Issuer" means any entity that delivers, issues for delivery, or provides coverage to, a resident of Washington, any policy that claims to provide asset protection under the Washington long-term care partnership act, chapter 48.85 RCW. Issuer as used in this chapter specifically includes insurance companies, fraternal benefit societies, health care service contractors, and health maintenance organizations.
"Long-term care (LTC) insurance" means a policy described in Chapter 284-83 WAC.
"Long-term care services" means services received in a medical institution, or under a home and community based waiver authorized by home and community services or division of developmental disabilities. Hospice services are considered long-term care services for the purposes of the long-term care partnership when medicaid eligibility is determined under chapter 388-513 or 388-515 WAC.
"Protected assets" means assets that are designated as excluded or not taken into account upon determination of long-term care medicaid eligibility described in WAC 388-513-1315. The protected or excluded amount is up to the dollar amount of benefits that have been paid for long-term care services by the qualifying long-term care partnership policy on the medicaid applicant's or client's behalf. The assets are also protected or excluded for the purposes of estate recovery described in chapter 388-527 WAC, in up to the amount of benefits paid by the qualifying policy for medical and long-term care services.
"Qualified long-term care insurance partnership" means an agreement between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the health care authority (HCA) which allows for the disregard of any assets or resources in an amount equal to the insurance benefit payments that are made to or on behalf of an individual who is a beneficiary under a long-term care insurance policy that has been determined by the Washington state insurance commission to meet the requirements of section 1917 (b)(1)(c)(iii) of the act. These policies are described in chapter 284-83 WAC.
"Reciprocity Agreement" means an agreement between states approved under section 6021(b) of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Public Law 109-171 (DRA) under which the states agree to provide the same asset protections for qualified partnership policies purchased by an individual while residing in another state and that state has a reciprocity agreement with the state of Washington.
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(1) Resources in a trust described in WAC 388-561-0100 (6) and (7).
(2) Annuity interests in which Washington must be named as a preferred remainder beneficiary as described in WAC 388-561-0201.
(3) Home equity in excess of the standard described in WAC 388-513-1350. Individuals who have excess home equity interest are not eligible for long-term care medicaid services.
(4) Any portion of the value of an asset that exceeds the dollar amount paid out by the LTC partnership policy.
(5) The unprotected value of any partially protected asset (an example would be the home) is subject to estate recovery described in chapter 388-527 WAC.
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(2) You meet all applicable eligible requirements for LTC medicaid and:
(a) Your LTC partnership policy benefits have been exhausted and you are in need of LTC services.
(b) Your LTC partnership policy is not exhausted and is:
(i) Covering all costs in a medical institution and you are still in need for medicaid; or
(ii) Covering a portion of the LTC costs under your LTC partnership policy but does not meet all of your LTC needs.
(c) At the time of your LTC partnership policy has paid out more benefits than you have designated as protected. In this situation your estate can designate additional assets to be excluded from the estate recovery process up to the dollar amount the LTC partnership policy has paid out.
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(1) The income you have available to pay toward your cost of care described in WAC 388-513-1380, combined with the amount paid under the qualifying LTC partnership policy, exceeds the monthly private rate at the institution.
(2) The income you have available to pay toward your cost of care on a home and community based (HCB) waiver described in chapter 388-515 WAC, combined with the amount paid under the qualifying LTC partnership policy, exceeds the monthly private rate in a home or residential setting.
(3) You fail to meet another applicable eligibility requirement for LTC medicaid.
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(1) You must report and verify the value of the benefits that your issuer has paid on your behalf under the LTC partnership policy upon request by the department, and at each annual eligibility review.
(2) You must provide proof when you have exhausted the benefits under your LTC partnership policy.
(3) You must provide proof if you have given away or transferred assets that you have previously designated as protected. Although, there is no penalty for the transfer of protected assets once you have been approved for LTC medicaid, the value of transferred assets reduces the total dollar amount that is designated as protected and must be verified.
(4) You must provide proof if you have sold an asset or converted a protected asset into cash or another type of asset. You will need to make changes in the asset designation and verify the type of transaction and new value of the asset.
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(a) The full fair market value (FMV) of real property or interests in real property will be based on the current assessed value for property tax purposes for real property. A professional appraisal by a licensed appraiser can establish the current value if the assessed value is disputed.
(b) The value of a life estate in real property is determined using the life estate tables found in: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/manuals/eaz/sections/LongTermCare/LTCOappendix2.shtml.
(c) If you own an asset with others, you can designate the value of your pro-rata equity share.
(d) If the dollar amount of the benefits paid under a LTCP policy is greater than the fair market value of all assets protected at the time of the application for long-term care medicaid you may designate additional assets for protection under this section. The DSHS LTCP asset designation form must be submitted with the updated assets indicated along with proof of the current value of designated assets.
(e) The value of your assets protected for you under your LTC partnership policy do not carry over to your spouse should they need medicaid long-term care services during your lifetime or after your death. If your surviving spouse has their own LTC partnership policy he or she may designate assets based on the dollar amount paid under his or her own policy.
(f) Assets designated as protected under this subsection will not be subject to transfer penalties described in WAC 388-513-1363.
(2) Proof of the current fair market value of all protected assets is required at the initial application and each annual review.
(3) Submit current verification from the issuer of the LTCP policy of the current dollar value paid toward long-term care benefits. This verification is required at application and each annual eligibility review.
(4) Any individual or the personal representative of the individual's estate who asserts that an asset is protected has the initial burden of:
(a) Documenting and proving by clear and convincing evidence that the asset or source of funds for the asset in question was designated as protected;
(b) Demonstrating the value of the asset and the proceeds of the asset beginning from the time period the LTC partnership has paid out benefits to the present; and
(c) Documenting that the asset or proceeds of the asset remained protected at all times.
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(a) You have already been receiving institutional services;
(b) Your LTC partnership policy has paid toward institutional services for you; and
(c) The value of the transferred assets has been protected under the LTC partnership policy.
(2) The value of the transferred assets that exceed your LTC partnership protection will be evaluated for a transfer penalty.
(3) If you transfer assets whose values are protected, you lose that value as future protection unless all the transferred assets are returned.
(4) The value of your protected assets less the value of transferred assets equals the adjusted value of the assets you are able to protect.
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(1) A personal representative who asserts an asset is protected under this section has the initial burden of providing proof as described in chapter 388-527 WAC.
(2) A personal representative must provide verification from the LTC insurance company of the dollar amount paid out by the LTC partnership policy.
(3) If the LTC partnership policy paid out more than was previously designated, the personal representative has the right to assert that additional assets should be protected based on the increased protection. The personal representative must use the DSHS LTCP asset designation form and send it to the office of financial recovery.
(4) The amount of protection available to you at death through the estate recovery process is decreased by the FMV of any protected assets that were transferred prior to death.
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