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CONTINUOUS ELIGIBILITY: Children eligible for HMK have 12-months continuous eligibility in which they remain eligible regardless of changes in household circumstances. The span begins the first day of the application month and continues through the last day of the 12th month. A child can be enrolled (i.e., HMK coverage begins) the earlier of the first day of the month the application was received or first of the month after application. There is no retro coverage for HMK. CONTINUOUS ELIGIBILITY ENDS IF: 1. The child becomes Medicaid eligible, 2. The child is no longer a Montana resident, 3. The child or the child’s representative requests closure, 4. The child dies, 5. The child turns 19 yrs. old, or 6. The agency determines that eligibility was erroneously granted at the most recent determination or renewal of eligibility due to: a. Agency error or b. Fraud, abuse or perjury attributed to the child or the child’s representative NOTE: If a child is in an HMK continuous span and they are discovered to be enrolled in a creditable health insurance or becomes incarcerated, we do not close until their span has ended. CHILD MOVES BETWEEN HOUSEHOLDS: When a child’s parents both have open health coverage cases and the child moves between households, the child’s continuous span will follow into the new case. Effective Date: 01/01/2026