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MISSISSIPPI DIVISION OF MEDICAID Eligibility Policy and Procedures Manual CHAPTER 102 – Non-Financial Requirements Page |41 Effective Date: June 2020 102.05.06A 40 QUALIFYING QUARTERS OF EARNINGS A qualifying quarter means a quarter of coverage as defined under Title II of the Social Security Act, which is worked by the alien, and/or: • All the qualifying quarters worked by the spouse of the alien during their marriage, provided the alien remains married to the spouse or the marriage ended by death and not divorce, and • All of the qualifying quarters worked by a parent of an alien while the alien was under age 18. The alien does not have to be under age 18 at the time of the application. Combining Quarters Subject to the limitations above, the alien’s own QQs can possibly be combined with those of his parent(s) and/or spouse to attain the required 40 quarters. Receipt of Means-Tested Benefits After December 31, 1996, any quarter in which any of these individuals, i.e., the alien, his parent(s) and/or spouse, received Federal means-tested benefits, such as TANF, SSI and Medicaid, cannot be credited to meet the 40-quarter requirement. When total qualifying quarters have been verified, quarters in which Federal means- tested benefits were received by any person contributing quarters should be subtracted from the total to determine the number of countable qualifying quarters. 102.05.06 B PROCEDURES TO VERIFY 40 QUALIFYING QUARTERS Utilize the following procedures to verify 40 QQs of earnings: • Determine the individuals whose quarters can be included in the QQ count based on the requirements and limitations outlined above in 102.05.06A. Question the applicant to determine that proper relationships exist, the date of birth of the applicants and request Social Security Numbers for each individual included. • Determine if it is possible for the applicant to meet the requirement. Ask how many years the applicant and each individual included in the quarter coverage calculation have lived in the U.S. If the total is less than 10 years (40 quarters), the applicant cannot meet the requirement.