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BEM 211 5 of 9 MA GROUP COMPOSITION BPB 2026-013 5-1-2026
BRIDGES ELIGIBILITY MANUAL STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
RULES FOR GROUPS SSI-Related MA, Group 2 Pregnant Women, Group 2 Persons Under Age 21, Group 2 Caretaker Relative Determine the fiscal and asset groups separately for each person requesting MA. When referring to the group listings, remember: • Only persons living with one another can be in the same group; see living with in this item. • Certain persons cannot be fiscal or asset group members in SSI-related MA; see excluded persons in this item. • There is no asset test for Group 2 Pregnant Women. For all Group 2 MA categories, when a child lives with both parents who do not live with each other (for example, child lives with his mother two weeks each month and his father the other two weeks), only one parent, the primary caretaker, is in the fiscal group. Determine a primary caretaker. The primary caretaker is the parent who is primarily responsible for the child’s day-to-day care and supervision in the home where the child sleeps more than half the days in a month, when averaged over a twelve month period. The twelve month period begins at the time the determination is being made. Vacations and visitation with the absent parent do not interrupt primary caretaker status. Joint physical custody occurs when parents alternate taking responsibility for the child’s day-to-day care and supervision. It may be included in a court order or may be an informal arrangement between parents. A child is considered to be living with only one parent in a joint custody arrangement. This parent is the primary caretaker. Pregnancy Count a pregnant woman as at least two members. If multiples are expected count the woman as three, etc.