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MISSISSIPPI DIVISION OF MEDICAID Eligibility Policy and Procedures Manual CHAPTER 200A – Income: ABD Categories Page |78 Effective Month: July 2025 200A.07.22 GIFTS OF TRAVEL TICKETS Domestic Travel Tickets Domestic travel is travel in or between the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. A domestic ticket received as a gift is treated as unearned income in the month the ticket was converted to cash. The value of a ticket for domestic travel received by an individual, his spouse or parent whose income is subject to deeming is excluded from income if the ticket is received as a gift and was used for transportation or retained and has not been converted to cash (e.g., cashed in or sold, etc.) Non-Domestic Travel Tickets The gift of a non-domestic travel ticket that cannot be converted to cash (non- refundable) or used to obtain food or shelter is not considered income even if the ticket was used for transportation. Travel tickets that can be converted are income and counted as unearned income at the current market value in the month of receipt whether or not the ticket was used for transportation. 200A.07.23 PRIZES A prize is generally something won in a contest, lottery or game of chance. A prize is counted as unearned income subject to the general rules pertaining to income and income exclusions. Do not subtract gambling losses from gambling winnings in determining an individual’s countable income. If a person is offered a choice between an in-kind prize and cash, the cash offered is counted as unearned income even if the individual chooses the in-kind item, regardless of the value, if any, of the in-kind item. 200A.07.24 GIFT CARDS AND GIFT CERTIFICATES The value of a gift card or gift certificate is unearned income in the month it is received if the gift card or certificate can be used to purchase food or shelter or can be resold. Absent evidence to the contrary, presume a gift card or certificate can be resold. Evidence to the contrary could include a legally enforceable prohibition on resale or transfer of the card/certificate imposed by the card issuer/merchant printed on the card or certificate. The value of the gift card/certificate is subject to general rules pertaining to income and income exclusion, e.g., infrequent or irregular income exclusion policy.