Colorado WIC Program Policies and Procedures Section 8: Certification, Eligibility and Coordination Revised: 03/01/2026

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Adjunctive Eligibility

Policy: Colorado WIC accepts current participation in Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid) or any of Colorado’s other Medicaid Programs (e.g. Health First Colorado Limited/Emergency Medicaid, Transitional Medicaid, etc.), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF - referred to as Colorado Works Program), or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) as evidence of financial eligibility for participation in WIC. This also includes participants who are presumptively eligible for Health First Colorado (Medicaid). This is referred to as adjunctive eligibility or automatic WIC income eligibility.

An individual enrolled in one of the above public assistance programs is adjunctively income eligible for WIC even if their income exceeds the WIC Income limits Eligibility Guidelines.

Participation in CHP+ or the Behavioral Health Administration Benefit DOES NOT qualify a client for Adjunctive Eligibility.

Regulation: 7 CFR 246.7(d)(2), WIC Policy Memo 94-28

Procedure/Additional Guidance: All applicants and participants must be screened at certification and recertification for participation in one of the programs that would make them adjunctively or automatically income eligible for WIC.

Colorado Medicaid Programs (Regular, Emergency, Transitional Medicaid Program, Presumptive Eligibility, etc.) will be referred to as Health First Colorado/Medicaid within the policy.

Health First Colorado/Medicaid Participation ● Verify the participant is a current Health First Colorado/Medicaid participant. o Determine current participation by one of the following: ▪ Phone verification: Call the Colorado Medical Assistance Program Provider Assistance Telephone number: 1-833-468-0362 and enter the following information when prompted: ● Colorado WIC’s non-billing provider number: 83037331. ● Participant’s Member ID (Health First Colorado/Medicaid number) or social security number and date of birth. ● Health First Colorado/Medicaid Provider Portal using the local agency provider number (not available to all local agencies). ▪ Award letter with the dates of eligibility. The WIC certification/recertification date must be within the enrollment dates listed on the Health First Colorado/Medicaid Award letter. ▪ Colorado PEAK system or the Colorado Benefit Management System (CBMS). o If verified, enter the proof in the Adjunct Eligibility field in Compass and the Health First Colorado/Medicaid number in the ‘MA ID’ field. ● While proof of gross income is not required when proof of adjunctive or automatic eligibility has been established, to meet federal data collection requirements staff must ask the participant to self-report their household’s gross income o Enter the amount in the Income Determination field of Compass with “See Proof” as the Source and Medicaid/SNAP/TANF/FDPIR as the Proof. Once the participant is determined to be currently participating on Health First Colorado/Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF, no other proof of income is required. ● If Health First Colorado/Medicaid cannot be verified and no other proofs of income are available, but the participant brought proof of identity and address, staff may provisionally certify the participant. The participant must return within 30 days with acceptable proof of income. ●

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation ● Verify the participant is a current SNAP by ensuring the participant’s name is listed on the SNAP Award Letter.

Colorado WIC Program Policies and Procedures Section 8: Certification, Eligibility and Coordination Revised: 03/01/2026

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o The WIC certification/recertification date must be within the enrollment dates listed on the SNAP Award Letter, through the Colorado PEAK system or CBMS. o If the participant’s name is not on the SNAP Award Letter, another proof of income must be supplied. ● If verified, check the SNAP box in the Adjunct Eligibility field next to each participant’s name who is listed on the SNAP Award Letter and select “Award letter” from the dropdown in the Proof field. ● Staff must ask the participant to self-report their household’s gross income. ● Enter the amount in Compass in the Income Determination field with “See Proof” as the Source and Medicaid/SNAP/TANF/FDPIR as the Proof.

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Participation: ● Verify the participant is a current, FDPIR or TANF participant. o The WIC certification/recertification date must be within the enrollment dates listed on the /FDPIR or TANF Eligibility Notice, through the Colorado PEAK System or the CBMS. ● If verified, check the TANF box in the Adjunct Eligibility field and select the proof from the dropdown in the Proof field. ● Staff must ask the participant to self-report their household’s gross income. ● Enter the amount in Compass in the Income Determination field with “See Proof” as the Source and Medicaid/TANF/FDPIR as the Proof.

Adjunctive income eligibility applies to other household members when: ● Anyone in the household has FDPIR or TANF benefits. ● A pregnant woman or infant has Health First Colorado/Medicaid. o Note: When a newborn's mother has Health First Colorado/Medicaid benefits, that infant is automatically eligible to receive Health First Colorado/Medicaid until one year of age as a result of the Needy Newborn Health First Colorado Coverage legislation. If the newborn's WIC certification occurs prior to the infant being assigned a Health First Colorado/Medicaid number, enter “Pending” for the infant in the MA ID field in Compass and update the record once the Health First Colorado/Medicaid number is known.

See the chart below to help determine who else in the family may be covered by the adjunct eligibility of one family member. Applicant/Participant Medicaid TANF SNAP* FDPIR Pregnant woman Entire household Entire household The woman only Entire household Infant Entire household n/a (infants and children would not receive benefits individually)

The infant only Entire household Child The child only The child only Entire household Postpartum woman The postpartum woman only Entire household The postpartum woman only Entire household Foster Infant or Child The foster infant/child only n/a The foster infant/child only n/a Any other household member (example: father) n/a Entire household n/a Entire household *For SNAP, only those participant’s names who appear on the SNAP Award Letter may use SNAP for adjunctive eligibility.

Adjunctive income eligibility does not apply to other household members when:

Colorado WIC Program Policies and Procedures Section 8: Certification, Eligibility and Coordination Revised: 03/01/2026

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● A child has Health First Colorado/Medicaid. o In the instance where a child presents an active Health First Colorado/Medicaid card as proof of income and other family members are categorically eligible but do not have proof of income, complete the Adjunct Eligibility link for the child with Health First Colorado/Medicaid and leave the Income Determination box blank. Next certify the child and provisionally certify the remaining participants in the household. ● A foster child (even if an infant) has Health First Colorado/Medicaid. o A foster child can never confer adjunctive income eligibility to other household members since WIC considers the foster child a one-person household. ● A postpartum woman has Health First Colorado/Medicaid. Please see the note for Needy Newborn Medicaid Coverage Legislation Coverage for the infant exception. ● Not all family members have SNAP.