loading…
loading…
loading…
An individual living in a residential facility, such as one participating in the Room and Board Assistance (RBA) program, is not entitled to have eligibility determined under the special provisions. A resident of an RBA facility qualifies as a community spouse when the other spouse is institutionalized in a hospital, nursing facility, ICF/IID, or psychiatric facility. 2635.10.10.05 RESOURCE ASSESSMENT AND SPOUSAL SHARE (MED 1) The policies stated in this section apply only to the MA A, MA B, MA D, MADW, and MADI categories of assistance. Institutionalized individuals who are married to community spouses and who meet the specific criteria in Section 2635.10.10 must have a resource assessment completed. The resource assessment is a very important process whereby the combined countable resources of the couple are determined as of the beginning (date of admission) of the institutionalized spouse's first continuous period of institutionalization which began on or after September 30, 1989.80 From this information, a "spousal share" for the community spouse, equaling one-half of the couple's combined countable resources, is then established for use in determining the institutionalized spouse's resource eligibility. Countable resources for assessment purposes are determined in the same manner as in regular situations with the following exceptions: • Up to $2,000 of any separately identifiable funds or assets which have been set aside for burial can be excluded. This exemption can be given to both spouses if applicable; however, the $2,000 maximum must be reduced by the face value of any life insurance policy whose cash surrender value has been exempted, or by the amount in any irrevocable burial trust. [Please, note the exempted value prior to June 1, 2014, was $1,500]. In order for funds or assets to be considered set aside for burial, the account titling must indicate such, or there must be a signed statement by the owner or guardian of the purpose for the funds and the date on which they were set aside. • One motor vehicle of any value is exempt. • The equity value of nonexempt real property owned solely or jointly by the institutionalized spouse is a countable resource. (The "agree to sell" rule is applied only to eligibility determinations, not for purposes of calculating the spousal share.) The equity value of real property owned solely by the community spouse (or jointly with someone other than the institutionalized spouse) is not included when determining the amount of combined assets for spousal share purposes. The resource assessment can be requested independently of an application for assistance by either spouse or their authorized representative. In that situation, the assessment request should occur promptly upon admission to the facility. DFR Offices are to provide Form 2060, Resource Assessment Notice and Request, to interested people upon request and should provide a supply to facilities in the county. A completed Form 2060 can be mailed to FSSA Document Center or the local DFR office.