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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Introduction

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 1 Introduction

I.1 IMM OVERVIEW The primary purpose of the Income Maintenance Manual (IMM) is to document and communicate the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DOHS) policies and procedures related to determining initial and ongoing eligibility for the DOHS’s Income Maintenance and Emergency and Special Assistance programs. The IMM is used by DOHS staff and the public. DOHS makes every attempt to ensure that the information contained in the IMM is accurate as of the date of issuance. Compliance with all applicable West Virginia state laws, regulations, and administrative guidelines, as well as applicable federal laws and regulations, is required. Specifically, readers must consider the content in this manual, along with applicable federal and state laws and regulations, when determining actions or interpreting guidelines. Disclaimer regarding gender-specific terms: Throughout the IMM, whenever a gender-specific term is used, it should be understood as referring to both genders, unless explicitly stated. This is done solely for the purpose of making the text easier to read, and no offense or sexism is intended. The programs covered by the IMM, in alphabetical order, are: • AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), a state-administered program that provides Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications to low-income people living with HIV who have limited or no health coverage from private insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare. • Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), which partially offsets heating costs for eligible low-income individuals responsible for a home heating cost. • Medicaid, which provides comprehensive health insurance for eligible low-income adults and children and the aged, blind or disabled. Medicaid also provides assistance with paying for Medicare cost-sharing for certain low-income individuals through the Medicare Buy-in Program. The Medicaid Work Incentive (M-WIN) program is a full coverage Medicaid group that assists individuals with disabilities in becoming independent of public assistance by enabling them to enter the workforce without losing essential medical care. • Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT), a program which reimburses Medicaid and Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) clients for the cost of transportation and other expenses associated with receiving medical services. • School Clothing Allowance (SCA), two programs, WV WORKS School Clothing Allowance and West Virginia School Clothing Allowance, to assist eligible families with the purchase of clothes for school.