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Title 8: Medicaid Page 77 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter D: Resources General Non-MAGI-Related Resource Policies Revised July 10, 2026 What Resources to Count If only one of the account holders is a Medicaid applicant or member or a person whose income and resources must be considered for Medicaid eligibility, count the entire amount in a co-owned account unless the applicant or member can establish that they (or the deemer) cannot access the funds. See Disputed Ownership.
Ms. G has $3,000 in a joint checking account with her sister, Ms. H, and their mother, Mrs. I. Ms. G and Ms. H are both over the age of 21 and are both receiving non-MAGI-related Medicaid. Mrs. I has not applied for and does not receive Medicaid. Countable amounts are $1,500 for Ms. G and $1,500 for Ms. H, unless either can establish that they do not have access to the account. Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA). Use the value of the IRA if cashed in minus any penalties for early withdrawal. NOTE: The 10% tax penalty for early withdrawal would not be allowed as a deduction, since it is an additional tax on the income portion of the withdrawal. Mutual funds. Count the value for which the shares can be sold. Oil leases. The value must be established by a knowledgeable source, such as a brokerage firm or bank. The lease value can be excluded if it is under $6,000 and the land earns a net income of 6% of equity, or if the land is being sold. The leasehold is the right to use the property for a specified period. It does not convey ownership of the property. Promissory notes that can be sold or discounted. Stocks. Use the closing price of the stock on the first moment of the first day of the month. Do not count resources that have no cash value, that cannot be liquidated, or that the applicant or member does not have the right to liquidate and use for support and maintenance. NOTE: Do not count property jointly owned by spouses involved in a divorce when the property is unavailable until a decision on distribution has been made. Do not consider the terms of a prenuptial agreement when determining Medicaid eligibility. Do not count a resource until ownership is known to the applicant or member. An applicant or a member who is not aware of owning a resource must prove that it was reasonable not to know about it. Forgetting a resource is not evidence. Count the value of the resource plus any interest as income in the month of discovery. Count it as a resource the next month.