1802.020.45.05 Death After Application – DSS Manuals

IM-134 November 14, 2017

If the applicant dies before a determination is made on a pending application, if possible, complete the application. If unable to complete the application, contact a legal guardian, personal representative, administrator, or executor of the deceased applicant’s estate to determine if they are willing and able to furnish the information necessary to establish eligibility. If there is a personal representative, administrator, or executor of the estate obtain documentation of court appointment.

Send all requests for information, notices, and other correspondence to the applicant’s address, and to any appointed personal representative, administrator, or executor of the deceased applicant’s estate.

In the event there is no court appointed personal representative, administrator or executor of the deceased applicant’s estate, and the application was received prior to the applicant’s death, FSD will follow the application process through to resolution. FSD will make and document efforts to gather information necessary to determine eligibility on the applicant’s behalf, but the application must be rejected if it is not possible to obtain information needed to determine eligibility.

NOTE: Death of an applicant who has appointed an authorized representative to apply on his/her behalf voids the appointment of the authorized representative, even when the application has been filed and the eligibility determination has not been completed. A manual Notice of Case Action (IM-33) form must be sent to applicant’s address, indicating that applicant is deceased and appointment of authorized representative is no longer valid.

NOTE: A deceased person’s application may be approved for MO HealthNet for a time period while they were living.