Page 84

MISSISSIPPI DIVISION OF MEDICAID Eligibility Policy and Procedures Manual CHAPTER 200A – Income: ABD Categories Page |84 Effective Month: July 2025 • Inform the individual that he must report if the money is spent for a purpose other than educational expenses or if he changes his intent to spend it on educational expenses. • Count any portion of grants, scholarships, fellowships or gifts as income in the earliest of either month it is spent for something other than educational expenses or the month the individual no longer intends to use the money for educational expenses. • Any funds not spent after the 9th month are counted as a resource beginning the 10th month following month of receipt. o Interest and dividends earned on grants, scholarships, fellowships or gifts which are excluded as a resource count as income. Interest and dividends earned on educational assistance which is a countable resource are excluded as income. 200A.07.32 DISASTER ASSISTANCE (PRESIDENTIALLY- DECLARED DISASTER) This section addresses only presidentially declared disasters. There are no specific instructions or exclusions addressing other disasters. At the request of the state governor, the President may declare a major disaster when the disaster is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and local governments, and federal assistance is needed. Disasters include such things as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, landslides, snowstorms, drought, etc. Assistance provided to victims of a Presidentially declared disaster includes assistance from: • Federal programs and agencies • Joint Federal and State programs • State or local government programs • Private organizations (for example, the Red Cross) The value of support and maintenance in cash or in-kind is not counted as countable income if: • The individual lived in a household which he or she (or he and another person) maintained as his or their home at the time a catastrophe occurred in the area; and