Income eligibility

(a) Budget periods. (1) The agency must use budget periods of not more than 6 months to compute income. The agency may use more than one budget period.

(2) The agency must include in the budget period in which income is computed all or part of the 3-month retroactive period specified in § 435.914. The budget period can begin no earlier then the first month in the retroactive period in which the individual received covered services.

(3) If the agency elects to begin the first budget period for the medically needy in any month of the 3-month period prior to the date of application in which the applicant received covered services, this election applies to all medically needy groups.

(c) Eligibility based on countable income. If countable income determined under paragraph (b) of this section is equal to or less than the applicable income standard under § 436.814, the individual is eligible for Medicaid.

(d) Deduction of incurred medical expenses. If countable income exceeds the income standard, the agency must deduct from income medical expenses incurred by the individual or family or financially responsible relatives that are not subject to payment by a third party. An expense is incurred on the date liability for the expense arises. The agency must determine deductible incurred expenses in accordance with paragraphs (e), (f) and (g) of this section and deduct those expenses in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section.

(e) Determination of deductible incurred expenses: Required deductions based on kinds of services. Subject to the provisions of paragraph (g) of this section, in determining incurred medical expenses to be deducted from income, the agency must include the following:

(1) Expenses for Medicare and other health insurance premiums, and deductibles or coinsurance charges, including enrollment fees, copayments, or deductibles imposed under § 447.52, § 447.53, or § 447.54 of this chapter;

(2) Expenses incurred by the individual or family or financially responsible relatives for necessary medical and remedial services that are recognized under State law but not included in the plan;

(3) Expenses incurred by the individual or family or by financially responsible relatives for necessary medical and remedial services that are included in the plan, including those that exceed agency limitations on amount, duration or scope of services;

(f) Determination of deductible incurred expenses: Required deductions based on the age of bills. Subject to the provisions of paragraph (g) of this section, in determining incurred medical expenses to be deducted from income, the agency must include the following:

(1) For the first budget period or periods that include only months before the month of application for medical assistance, expenses incurred during such period or periods, whether paid or unpaid, to the extent that the expenses have not been deducted previously in establishing eligibility;

(2) For the first prospective budget period that also includes any of the 3 months before the month of application for medical assistance, expenses incurred during such budget period, whether paid or unpaid, to the extent that the expenses have not been deducted previously in establishing eligibility;

(3) For the first prospective budget period that includes none of the months preceding the month of application, expenses incurred during such budget period and any of the 3 preceding months, whether paid or unpaid, to the extent that the expenses have not been deducted previously in establishing eligibility;

(4) For any of the 3 months preceding the month of application that are not includable under paragraph (f)(2) of this section, expenses incurred in the 3-month period that were a current liability of the individual in any such month for which a spenddown calculation is made and that had not been previously deducted from income in establishing eligibility for medical assistance;

(5) Current payments (that is, payments made in the current budget period) on other expenses incurred before the current budget period and not previously deducted from income in any budget period in establishing eligibility for such period; and

(6) If the individual's eligibility for medical assistance was established in each such preceding period, expenses incurred before the current budget period but not previously deducted from income, to the extent that such expenses are unpaid and are:

(i) Described in paragraphs (e)(1) through (e)(3) of this section; and

(ii) Are carried over from the preceding budget period or periods because the individual had a spenddown liability in each such preceding period that was met without deducting all such incurred, unpaid expenses.

(g) Determination of deductible incurred medical expenses: Optional deductions. In determining incurred medical expenses to be deducted from income, the agency—

(1) May include medical institutional expenses (other than expenses in acute care facilities) projected to the end of the budget period at the Medicaid reimbursement rate;

(2) May include expenses for services that the agency has determined are reasonably constant and predictable, including but not limited to, services identified in a person-centered service plan developed pursuant to § 441.301(b)(1)(i), § 441.468(a)(1), § 441.540(b)(5), or § 441.725 of this chapter and expenses for prescription drugs, projected to the end of the budget period at the Medicaid reimbursement rate;

(3) May, to the extent determined by the agency and specified in its approved plan, include expenses incurred earlier than the third month before the month of application; and

(4) May set reasonable limits on the amount to be deducted for expenses specified in paragraphs (e)(1), (e)(2), and (g)(2) of this section.

(h) Order of deduction. The agency must deduct incurred medical expenses that are deductible under paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) of this section, in the order prescribed under one of the following three options:

(1) Type of service. Under this option, the agency deducts expenses in the following order based on type of service:

(i) Cost-sharing expenses as specified in paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

(ii) Services not included in the State plan as specified in paragraph (e)(2) of this section.

(iii) Services included in the State plan as specified in paragraph (e)(3) of this section but that exceed agency limitations on amount, duration, or scope of services.

(iv) Services included in the State plan as specified in paragraph (e)(3) of this section but that are within agency limitations on amount, duration, or scope of services.

(2) Chronological order by service date. Under this option, the agency deducts expenses in chronological order by the date each service is furnished, or in the case of insurance premiums, coinsurance, or deductibles charges the date such amounts are due. Expenses for services furnished on the same day may be deducted in any reasonable order established by the State.

(3) Chronological order by bill submission date. Under this option, the agency deducts expenses in chronological order by the date each bill is submitted to the agency by the individual. If more than one bill is submitted at one time, the agency must deduct the bills from income in the order prescribed in either paragraph (h)(1) or (h)(2) of this section.

(i) Eligibility based on incurred medical expenses. (1) Whether a State elects partial or full month coverage, an individual who is expected to contribute a portion of his or her income toward the costs of institutional care or home and community-based services under § 436.832 is eligible on the first day of the applicable budget (spenddown) period—

(i) If his or her spenddown liability is met after the first day of the budget period; and

(ii) If beginning eligibility after the first day of the budget period makes the individual's share of health care expenses under § 436.832 greater than the individual's contributable income determined under this section.

(2) At the end of the prospective period specified in paragraph (f)(2) or (f)(3) of this section and any subsequent prospective period or, if earlier, when any significant change occurs, the agency must reconcile the projected amounts with the actual amounts incurred, or with changes in circumstances, to determine if the adjusted deduction of incurred expenses reduces income to the income standard.

(3) Except as provided in paragraph (i)(1) of this section, if agencies elect partial month coverage, an individual is eligible for Medicaid on the day that the deduction of incurred health care expenses (and of projected institutional expenses if the agency elects the option under paragraph (g)(1) of this section) reduces income to the income standard.

(4) Except as provided in paragraph (i)(1) of this section, if agencies elect full month coverage, an individual is eligible on the first day of the month in which spenddown liability is met.

(5) Expenses used to meet spenddown liability are not reimbursable under Medicaid. Therefore, to the extent necessary to prevent the transfer of an individual's spenddown liability to the Medicaid program, States must reduce the amount of provider charges that would otherwise be reimbursable under Medicaid.