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MISSISSIPPI DIVISION OF MEDICAID Eligibility Policy and Procedures Manual CHAPTER 200B – Income: MAGI Categories Page |155
Effective Month: July 2025
Medicaid to CHIP, CHIP to Medicaid, or to a lower coverage group must be changed to the new coverage.
200B.04.03 HANDLING INCOME VERIFICATION DISCREPANCIES AND CHANGES When evaluating income verification, be alert to wage discrepancies, changes or other issues, as addressed below.
Compare Client Verified Income to Electronically Verified Income • Be alert to income source(s) not declared on the MAGI application. • Be alert to paper verification that conflicts with SNAP, TALX or MDES data. • All wages reported by electronic data sources must be addressed in the case record when current wage verification is used rather than EV for each employment indicated. • The case record must be documented with the findings of any/all conflicts or discrepancies.
“Consecutive” Paystubs Needed – There Should Be No Gaps Between Verified Pay Periods. If a gap exists, there must be a documented reasonable explanation for the gap(s). For example: Weekly wage verification is submitted that has a 2-week gap. Using the year- to-date total, no wages were received during a 2-week period. An explanation is required. If the client statement regarding the gap is reasonable, i.e., individual was on unpaid leave due to vacation, illness or disciplinary action, etc., accept the explanation and document the record. If no reasonable explanation is provided, additional verification is needed from the employer.
Consider All Changes If paper verification indicates a change, such as an increased rate of pay, use the verification with the increased rate of pay to determine normal monthly income. Do not use the prior rate of pay. For example: Client provides 4 weekly paystubs. The 1st week reflects an hourly wage of $12 per hour and the other 3 paystubs reflect an increase to $14 per hour. Use the $14 hourly rate as the anticipated hourly pay rate, converted to a weekly amount to enter into MEDS. Document the case record with the calculation of weekly wages.