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BEM 216 2 of 6 RMA GROUP COMPOSITION BPB 2015-010 7-1-2015

BRIDGES ELIGIBILITY MANUAL STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

REFUSING INFORMATION Refusal of any information needed to determine eligibility for an individual causes ineligibility for the individual’s spouse and/or child living in the home. There is no fiscal or asset group for them. Failure to cooperate with social security number, support or third party resource liability requirements (BEM 223, 255, 256 and 257) may result in MA ineligibility for an individual, but it is not considered refusing information necessary to determine eligibility for the individual. RULES FOR GROUPS Determine the fiscal and asset groups separately for each individual requesting MA. When referring to the EDG, remember:  Only individuals living with one another can be in the same EDG; see Living With in this item.  Count a pregnant woman as at least two members. If twins are verified, count the woman as three, etc. LIVING WITH Living with others means sharing a home where family members usually sleep, except for temporary absences. A temporarily absent individual is considered in the home; see Temporary Absence in this item. 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. Make a determination of the 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 12 month period. The 12 month period begins at the time the determination is being made. Vacations and visitation with the absent parent do not interrupt primary caretaker status. See rules in BEM 255 concerning support from the other parent.