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PROVIDER DETERMINATIONS In accordance with 7 CFR 273.7(c)(18) a State agency must ensure that E&T providers are informed of their authority and responsibility to determine if an individual is ill-suited for a particular E&T component. Describe the process used by E&T providers to communicate provider determinations to the State agency. E&T providers communicate provider determinations to the MDHS staff via the SNAP E&T Communication Form, telephone and/or email correspondence within 10-days of making the determination. The provider must provide details of the reason for making the determination to MDHS including but not limited to component reassignment. MDHS welcomes the E&T providers input and/or recommendation(s) on the most appropriate next step(s) for the individual. The provider may also reassign the participant to a more suitable component, update the activity and submit the SNAP E&T Communication form within 10-days of the change and document Case Notes in CaseMod. Upon receipt of notification that an individual’s participation has been terminated due to a provider determination, but the individual is not exempt from the work requirement, the eligibility specialist will take one of the following actions: 1. Refer the individual to a more appropriate E&T component, if applicable. 2. Refer the individual to an appropriate workforce partnership, if available. 3. Re-assess the individual’s physical and mental fitness for a possible exemption, 4. Coordinate with other Federal, State or local workforce or assistance programs to identify work opportunities or assistance for the individual, if practicable. or 5. If there is not an appropriate E&T activity, eligibility specialist must determine if the State Exemption can be appropriately applied. Describe how the State agency notifies clients of a provider determination. The MDHS eligibility specialist sends the Provider Determination notice within 10-days of receiving a provider determination notification from an E&T provider. The notice informs the individual that the assigned E&T activity has been terminated and instructs the individual to meet with the assigned eligibility specialist within 10-days of receiving the notice. The eligibility specialist schedules the date and time for the meeting and makes documentation of the appointment within the notice. If an individual is determined not be a good fit for the component to which they were referred and is referred back to the county, the individual is notified within 10-days of receipt of the determination that: 1. An appointment is made to discuss new options. 2. The ABAWD will accrue countable months toward their three-month participation time limit the next full benefit month unless the ABAWD fulfills the work requirement, has good cause or is otherwise exempt. 3. The E&T participant is not being sanctioned as a result of the provider’s determination. 4. No later than the next recertification, assigned eligibility specialist must take one of the following steps: a. Screen the individual for participation in the E&T program and determine that it is appropriate to refer the individual to an E&T component. b. Re-assess the individual for mental and physical fitness, if there is reason to believe a re-assessment is necessary. I. If it is determined that the individual should not be required to participate in E&T, the individual must be exempt from mandatory E&T. ii. Re-assess, if needed, for other exemptions from the general work requirement and E&T iii. If more appropriate for the individual, consider a referral to a different provider and component or use the 1/29/26, 8:18 AM State Plan MS FY26 - Original Submission https://dam-fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/microsite/snapet-msfy26stateplan//index.html 39/104