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Louisiana Medicaid Eligibility Manual Eligibility Factors

Issued January 7, 2026 Page 24 of I-1550 Replacing November 13, 2025

Revised/added text indicated by underscore Deleted text indicated by “**” o Foreign organizations (except certain Canadian, Israeli, and Mexican charities); o Groups that are run for personal profit; o Groups whose purpose is to lobby for law changes; o Homeowners' associations; o Individuals; or 54 o Political groups or candidates for public office.

Obtain verification of any and all applicable deductions at application and redetermination.

Note: Do not allow the following credits or deductions:  The standard deduction.  Itemized deductions detailed in IRS Form Schedule A (home mortgage interest, medical and dental expenses, gifts to charity).  Child tax credits.  Child support payments.

I-1554.7 Projecting Income

Projecting income is the process of estimating the amount of income an individual is expected to receive during a specific period. This estimate uses available information, including recent pay, employer statements, year-to-date (YTD) earnings or averages to ensure eligibility is based on an accurate projection of the individual’s income.

When projecting income, the most accurate and verifiable information available must be used to estimate the amount the individual is likely to receive during the eligibility period. Projections must be reasonable, reflect expected ongoing earnings, and account for patterns such as fluctuating or seasonal pay. The method and data used to support the projection must be documented in the case record.

 Representative Pay – Use representative pay when available. Do not use pay that includes unusual overtime, bonuses, corrections, or other one-time payments to project or average ongoing income. When recent pay is non-representative,