Connecticut Department of Social Services Uniform Policy Manual: 1507.05 Assessment of Spousal Assets - Assessment Process - MCCA Spouses

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICESPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 3-15-06 Transmittal: UP-06-14 1507.05 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: The Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: Assessment of Spousal Assets MAABD _______________________________________________________________ Subject: Assessment Process - MCCA Spouses ______________________________________________________________________________

1507.05 A. Assessment Process

1. The Department provides an assessment of assets:

a. at the request of an institutionalized spouse or a community spouse:

(1) when one of the spouses begins his or her initial continuous period of institutionalization; and

(2) whether or not there is an application for Medicaid; or

b. at the time of application for Medicaid whether or not a request is made.

2. The beginning date of a continuous period of institutionalization is:

a. for those in medical institutions or long term care facilities, the initial date of admission;

b. for those applying for home and community based services (CBS) under a Medicaid waiver, the date that the Department determines the applicant to be in medical need of the services.

3. The assessment is completed using the assets which existed as of the date of the beginning the initial continuous period of institutionalization which started on or after September 30, 1989.

4. The assessment consists of:

a. a computation of the total value of all non-excluded available assets owned by either or both spouses; and

b. a computation of the spousal share of those assets.

5. The results of the assessment are retained by the Department and used to determine the eligibility at the time of application for assistance as an institutionalized spouse.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 1-7-09 Transmittal: UP-09-04 1507.05 Page 2 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: The Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: Assessment of Spousal Assets MAABD _______________________________________________________________ Subject: Assessment Process - MCCA Spouses ______________________________________________________________________________

1507.05 A. 6. Initial eligibility is determined using an assessment of spousal assets except when:

undue hardship exists (Cross Reference 4025.68); or

b. the institutionalized spouse has assigned his or her support rights from the community spouse to the department (Cross Reference: 4025.69); or

the institutionalized spouse cannot execute the assignment because of a physical or mental impairment. (Cross Reference: 4025.69).

B. Requesting the Assessment

1. MCCA spouses shall file a completed written request for the assessment on a form prescribed by the Department.

2. Telephone contacts or other requests for the assessment not made on the prescribed form are considered inquiries and do not constitute a request.

3. The request may be submitted in person or by mail.

4. The assessment form shall be signed by the community spouse or the institutionalized spouse or another individual who is qualified to request the assessment on behalf of either MCCA spouse.

5. The Department determines the individuals who are qualified to request the assessment on the same basis as it determines the individuals who are qualified to make an application for assistance (Cross Reference 1505.15).

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 3-15-06 Transmittal: UP-06-14 1507.05 Page 3 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: The Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: Assessment of Spousal Assets MAABD _______________________________________________________________ Subject: Assessment Process - MCCA Spouses ______________________________________________________________________________

1507.05 C. Notification

1. The Department provides a notification of the results of the assessment to each spouse.

2. The notification contains the following information:

a. the result of the assessment; and

b. the documents used for the assessment; and

c. the amount of the spousal share; and

d. the maximum amount of assets which may be retained by the spouses at the time of the results of the assessment which would not adversely affect eligibility; and

e. the Department's determination of the assistance unit's current eligibility status in regard to assets; and

the right of each spouse to request a Fair Hearing (Cross Reference 1570).

D. Fee

1. The Department charges a fee of $50.00 if the request for the assessment is made at any time other than:

a. during the application process; or

b. while the assistance unit is currently eligible for Medicaid.

2. Payment of the fee is a pre-requisite for the Department's performance of the assessment.