WAC 388-513-1380   Determining a client's financial participation in the cost of care for long-term care (LTC) services.  This rule describes how the department allocates income and excess resources when determining participation in the cost of care (the post-eligibility process). The department applies rules described in WAC 388-513-1315 to define which income and resources must be used in this process.

     (1) For a client receiving institutional or hospice services in a medical institution, the department applies all subsections of this rule.

     (2) For a client receiving waiver services at home or in an alternate living facility, the department applies only those subsections of this rule that are cited in the rules for those programs.

     (3) For a client receiving hospice services at home, or in an alternate living facility, the department applies rules used for the community options program entry system (COPES) for hospice applicants with income under the medicaid special income level (SIL) (300% of the federal benefit rate (FBR)), if the client is not otherwise eligible for another noninstitutional categorically needy medicaid program. (Note: For hospice applicants with income over the medicaid SIL, medically needy medicaid rules apply.)

     (4) The department allocates nonexcluded income in the following order and the combined total of (4)(a), (b), (c), and (d) cannot exceed the medically needy income level (MNIL):

     (a) A personal needs allowance (PNA) of:

     (i) One hundred sixty dollars for a client living in a state veterans' home;

     (ii) Ninety dollars for a veteran or a veteran's surviving spouse, who receives the ninety dollar VA improved pension and does not live in a state veterans' home; or

     (iii) Forty-one dollars and sixty-two cents for all clients in a medical institution receiving general assistance.

     (iv) Effective July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 fifty-five dollars and forty-five cents for all other clients in a medical institution. Effective July 1, 2008 this PNA increases to fifty-seven dollars and twenty-eight cents.

     (v) Current PNA and long-term care standards can be found at http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/manuals/eaz/sections/LongTermCare/LTCstandardspna.shtml.

     (b) Mandatory federal, state, or local income taxes owed by the client.

     (c) Wages for a client who:

     (i) Is related to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program as described in WAC 388-475-0050(1); and

     (ii) Receives the wages as part of a department-approved training or rehabilitative program designed to prepare the client for a less restrictive placement. When determining this deduction employment expenses are not deducted.

     (d) Guardianship fees and administrative costs including any attorney fees paid by the guardian, after June 15, 1998, only as allowed by chapter 388-79 WAC.

     (5) The department allocates nonexcluded income after deducting amounts described in subsection (4) in the following order:

     (a) Income garnished for child support or withheld according to a child support order in the month of garnishment (for current and back support):

     (i) For the time period covered by the PNA; and

     (ii) Is not counted as the dependent member's income when determining the family allocation amount.

     (b) A monthly maintenance needs allowance for the community spouse not to exceed, effective January 1, 2008, two thousand six hundred ten dollars, unless a greater amount is allocated as described in subsection (7) of this section. The community spouse maintenance allowance is increased each January based on the consumer price index increase (from September to September, http://www.bls.gov/cpi/). Starting January 1, 2008 and each year thereafter the community spouse maintenance allocation can be found in the long-term care standards chart at http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/manuals/eaz/sections/LongTermCare/LTCstandardspna.shtml. The monthly maintenance needs allowance:

     (i) Consists of a combined total of both:

     (A) One hundred fifty percent of the two person federal poverty level. This standard increases annually on July 1st (http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/poverty/); and

     (B) Excess shelter expenses as described under subsection (6) of this section.

     (ii) Is reduced by the community spouse's gross countable income; and

     (iii) Is allowed only to the extent the client's income is made available to the community spouse.

     (c) A monthly maintenance needs amount for each minor or dependent child, dependent parent or dependent sibling of the community spouse or institutionalized person who:

     (i) Resides with the community spouse:

     (A) In an amount equal to one-third of one hundred fifty percent of the two person federal poverty level less the dependent family member's income. This standard increases annually on July 1st (http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/poverty/).

     (ii) Does not reside with the community spouse or institutionalized person, in an amount equal to the MNIL for the number of dependent family members in the home less the dependent family member's income.

     (iii) Child support received from a noncustodial parent is the child's income.

     (d) Medical expenses incurred by the institutional client and not used to reduce excess resources. Allowable medical expenses and reducing excess resources are described in WAC 388-513-1350.

     (e) Maintenance of the home of a single institutionalized client or institutionalized couple:

     (i) Up to one hundred percent of the one-person federal poverty level per month;

     (ii) Limited to a six-month period;

     (iii) When a physician has certified that the client is likely to return to the home within the six-month period; and

     (iv) When social services staff documents the need for the income exemption.

     (6) For the purposes of this section, "excess shelter expenses" means the actual expenses under subsection (6)(b) less the standard shelter allocation under subsection (6)(a). For the purposes of this rule:

     (a) The standard shelter allocation is based on thirty percent of one hundred fifty percent of the two person federal poverty level. This standard increases annually on July 1st (http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/poverty/); and

     (b) Shelter expenses are the actual required maintenance expenses for the community spouse's principal residence for:

     (i) Rent;

     (ii) Mortgage;

     (iii) Taxes and insurance;

     (iv) Any maintenance care for a condominium or cooperative; and

     (v) The food stamp standard utility allowance for four persons, provided the utilities are not included in the maintenance charges for a condominium or cooperative.

     (7) The amount allocated to the community spouse may be greater than the amount in subsection (6)(b) only when:

     (a) A court enters an order against the client for the support of the community spouse; or

     (b) A hearings officer determines a greater amount is needed because of exceptional circumstances resulting in extreme financial duress.

     (8) A client who is admitted to a medical facility for ninety days or less and continues to receive full SSI benefits is not required to use the SSI income in the cost of care for medical services. Income allocations are allowed as described in this section from non-SSI income.

     (9) Standards described in this section for long-term care can be found at: http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/manuals/eaz/sections/LongTermCare/LTCstandardspna.shtml.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, and 74.09.530. 08-13-072, § 388-513-1380, filed 6/16/08, effective 7/17/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, 74.09.530, and 2006 c 372. 07-19-126, § 388-513-1380, filed 9/19/07, effective 10/20/07; 07-01-072, § 388-513-1380, filed 12/18/06, effective 1/18/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, 74.09.530 and 2005 c 518 § 207 and Sec. 1924 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r-5). 06-07-144, § 388-513-1380, filed 3/21/06, effective 4/21/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). 05-07-033, § 388-513-1380, filed 3/9/05, effective 4/9/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, 74.09.575; 2003 1st sp.s. c 28, and section 1924 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396R-5). 04-04-072, § 388-513-1380, filed 2/2/04, effective 3/4/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500 and Section 1924 (42 U.S.C. 1396R-5). 01-18-055, § 388-513-1380, filed 8/30/01, effective 9/30/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, and Section 1924(g) of the Social Security Act. 00-17-058, § 388-513-1380, filed 8/9/00, effective 9/9/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 72.36.160, 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500 and Section 1924(g) of the Social Security Act, Section 4715 of the BBA of 1997 (Public Law 105-33, HR 2015). 99-11-017, § 388-513-1380, filed 5/10/99, effective 6/10/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, 43.20B.460, 11.92.180, and Section 1924 (42 USC 396r-5). 98-08-077, § 388-513-1380, filed 3/31/98, effective 4/1/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.530 and Social Security Act, Federal Register, March 10, 1997, pgs. 10856 - 10859, 42 U.S.C. 1396 (a)(l)(m). 97-16-008, § 388-513-1380, filed 7/24/97, effective 7/24/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and Title XIX State Agency Letter 95-44. 96-09-033 (Order 3963), § 388-513-1380, filed 4/10/96, effective 5/11/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 95-11-045 (Order 3848), § 388-513-1380, filed 5/10/95, effective 6/10/95. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and Title XIX State Agency Letter 94-49, notice of increase in SSI level. 95-05-022 (Order 3832), § 388-513-1380, filed 2/8/95, effective 3/11/95. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 94-10-065 (Order 3732), § 388-513-1380, filed 5/3/94, effective 6/3/94. Formerly WAC 388-95-360.]