5.04 Institutional Long-Term Care

DHA Case No. CWA 208804 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals September 8, 2023) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF The Medicaid Eligibility Handbook counts some income even though it is unavailable—garnishments, for example. In this case, the petitioner had $300 garnished monthly for a tax debt but his patient liability was not reduced to compensate. ALJ John Tedesco […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 207353 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals June 21, 2023) (Decision on Remand) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF Amember’s patient liability can be reduced to allow payment of medical or remedial expenses that the member “has incurred, is actually paying, and is legally obligated to pay.” In this case, the petitioner verified […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 203793 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals December 23, 2021) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF Income is not counted as a resource in the month it is received. In this case, the petitioner had income of $3,660.10, but his checking account balance at the end of the month was only $983.80. The […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 207580 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals April 14, 2023) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF An institutionalized spouse may allocate income to the community spouse up to a certain amount, and an ALJ may increase that if the petitioner shows “exceptional circumstances resulting in financial duress.” In this case, the petitioner appealed […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 207353 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 28, 2023) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF A member’s patient liability can be reduced to allow payment of medical or remedial expenses that the member “has incurred, is actually paying, and is legally obligated to pay.” In this case, the petitioner verified that he […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 207300 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals February 28, 2023) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF An ALJ may increase the community spouse income allocation (CSIA) if the community spouse does not have enough income to pay his or her “necessary and basic maintenance needs.” In this case, the community spouse had earned […] Read more

DHA Case No. MRA 207266 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals April 27, 2023) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF An ALJ may increase the community spouse income allocation (CSIA) if the community spouse does not have enough income to pay his or her “necessary and basic maintenance needs.” In this case, ALJ Jason Grace increased the […] Read more

DHA Case No. MDV 207202 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals February 23, 2023) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF A transfer for less than fair market value is a divestment, and payments to relatives often also need a notarized contract or lease. In this case, the petitioner’s son and POA used the proceeds from selling her […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 196806 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals January 9, 2020) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF An applicant must be under the asset limit as of the last day of the month for that month’s eligibility. In this case, the petitioner’s eligibility for August was denied because her bank statement showed a high […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 197380 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 2, 2020) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF In general, a Medicaid application must be processed within 30 days (plus 10 days if needed to provide verification) and the applicant has the burden of providing the needed verification. This case, however, was “highly unusual” for […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 197888 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 20, 2020) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF In general, applicants are responsible for verification—but agencies cannot deny eligibility when the applicant has no ability to get the required verification. In this case, the petitioner listed an old timeshare on the Medicaid application but lacked […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 198010 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 27, 2020) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF When a member disenrolls from a managed long-term care program, DHS’s policy is to automatically test for eligibility for non-waivers programs. In this case, the petitioner voluntarily disenrolled from Family Care after moving to a nursing home […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 208717 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals July 20, 2023) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF The Medicaid Eligibility Handbook contains two competing rules: revocable annuities are countable and available assets, but IRAs belonging to a community spouse are disregarded. In this case, the community spouse owned two Individual Retirement Annuities. The agency argued these […] Read more

DHA Case No. MQB 170244 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals February 8, 2016) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF In general, an irrevocable trust established by either spouse is a countable, available asset if there are any circumstances under which the applicant could receive money from the trust. But this policy does not apply to a […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 197217 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals May 21, 2020) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF The usual maximum for the Community Spouse Income Allocation (CSIA) can be increased by an ALJ if needed to pay for “necessary and basic” expenses. In this case, ALJ John Tedesco increased the CSIA to $4,078, largely […] Read more