004.04 BUDGETING THE INSTITUTIONALIZED SPOUSE.

The budget of the institutionalized spouse is calculated using the procedure below. Only the income of the institutionalized spouse is used to determine whether any cost sharing applies. The institutionalized spouse must be allowed sufficient income to meet their personal needs before determining whether any income is allocated to the community spouse. If the income of the community spouse is not provided or verified then no allocation is allowed. If an allocation for the maintenance needs of the community spouse is calculated, but is not made available to the community spouse, then no deduction is allowed. A deduction for the maintenance of dependent family members is always allowed, even if the income is not made available to those family members. Any amount remaining after deductions are paid to the provider.