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COMAR 10.09.24.04

312 State of Maryland Medical Assistance Manual Revised July 2012

Set time limits for applicants to provide the required information. The due date should be reasonably related to the types and amount of information to be collected and the source(s) of the information; and Provide applicants with a written list of the required information and the types of acceptable verifications. The last part of the interview should be devoted to a discussion of The general use of the MA card; The rights and responsibilities of applicants; Fraud and abuse, and the consequences of committing either or both; The requirements to report changes in family circumstances, including changes in household makeup; The spend-down provision; The redetermination process: and Other subjects as needed on a case-by-case basis, including a clear explanation and a written statement of additional required information.

The above items need to be discussed in all cases except those whose technical (non-financial) ineligibility is determined prior to or during the interview. Every effort should be made to avoid the necessity of more than one face-to-face interview. Good planning and effective interviewing can result in considerable time saving and improved case management.

The A/R may be assisted by a person or persons of his choice in the application process and may be accompanied by this person or persons to the interview.

When it is determined, the interview may be conducted with an authorized rep or a person responsible, when it cannot be conducted with the applicant because of unusual circumstances such as severely incapacity disabilities, which preclude the applicant’s appearing at the local department. All institutionalized persons are presumed to meet this criterion.

The waiver also generally applies to chronically, ill, housebound, immobile persons who may not be aged and who are largely dependent upon others to perform their required day-to-day activities for an indefinite period of time. Many persons who are unable to meet the face-to-face interview requirement are able to provide information about them. In these situations, the representative who completes and signs the application for the person and appears for the face-to-face interview should make every effort to enlist the person’s aid.

In the case of an unmarried person younger than 18 years old who is not living with a parent or a Caretaker Relative Other than Parent (CTROP), the face-to-face interview may be conducted with one or more of the following persons, 18 years or older:

a) The parent or other knowledgeable relative of the child; b) The non-related person with whom the child is living; or c) Another designated responsible person who is knowledgeable about the child’s circumstances.