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(MRG) UPDATED: JANUARY 2011 46 CATEGORICAL FACTORS MEDICAID BUY-IN PROGRAM FOR WORKING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Improvement Group, work activity must be at least 40 hours per month and paid at no less than the applicable federal minimum wage. Proof of work activity includes: current pay stub(s); paycheck(s) or a detailed written statement from an employer. If these documents are not available, the individual’s income tax return, W-2 form, or records of bank deposits may be used. If an individual is not required to pay taxes, a sheltered workshop employee, for example, the applicant is not denied eligibility for the MBI-WPD program. A time-limited activity that prepares an individual for work, such as a training program, does not meet the work requirement because it is preparation for work. Once a training program is completed and employment secured, an individual may be eligible for the MBI-WPD program. Seasonal work may be considered work for the MBI-WPD program for the duration of the employment. If the work ends, a grace period may be granted if the individual continues to look for employment. Any working individual who had coverage discontinued under the MBI- WPD Medical Improvement Group and is reapplying for the MBI-WPD program, must meet all of the requirements for the MBI-WPD Basic Coverage Group, including certification of disability, in order to participate in the program again. 2. Grace Periods for the Medical Improvement Group Grace periods for the Medical Improvement Group allow for lapses in work activity due to job loss or a change in medical condition that is through no fault of the individual. The Job Loss Grace Period and the Change in Medical Condition Grace Period provide coverage up to six months in a twelve-month period. Multiple grace periods are allowed in the twelve-month period but the sum of the grace periods may not exceed six months. The first day of the first grace period starts the twelve-month period. Both types of grace periods require written verification, one from the employer for the job loss grace period and one from an acceptable medical source for the change in medical condition grace period. If the recipient has not secured employment by the end of the grace period, his or her eligibility for MBI-WPD ends and continued eligibility under other Medicaid programs must be evaluated.