1400 Application Process, Case Disposition, and Written notice of Case Action
1410 Application Process
1411 General Information - Submittal of a signed paper application or an on-line application shall be considered a request for assistance. Ineligibility for cash assistance does not automatically render the applicant ineligible for other programs. For food assistance and cash purposes, a face-to-face or telephone interview is required at the time of application (See 1412.4)
Based on the provisions of 4000, an application shall include all persons who are required to be in the assistance plan. A new application is not required to add additional household members to existing programs.
Intake may be limited to providing the application form unless the applicant makes an additional request. If there is an intake interview, it must provide the applicant an opportunity to state his request and explain his situation and enable the agency to provide the applicant with needed information or to refer him to other staff members or other agencies for the help requested.
The application form together with the EES worker's records (if any), the necessary forms (budgets, notices of action, narratives, etc.), and any required verification must substantiate eligibility or ineligibility.
At the time of application processing, each month shall be viewed separately in determining eligibility or ineligibility. For example, if an application is filed in July but processed in August, ineligibility in August shall not effect the eligibility determination for the month of July.
Use of the Eligibility Documentation Log, ES-3113A, is optional for each TANF and food assistance application processed. The items listed on this form are considered to be the minimum documentation required for each application/review processed, and if the ES-3113A is not used, the items listed on this form must be documented in the case file either in the narrative or on a locally developed form.
Expedited food assistance service shall be provided to households in immediate need. See 1415.1. Expedited medical eligibility shall also be provided to all pregnant women who apply for cash or medical assistance. Refer to KFMAM 1407.
An application for food assistance benefits can be filed at any Social Security Administration (SSA) Office for those households in which all members of the food assistance household are either applying for or receiving SSI benefits. For convenience, the application process for joint processing (SSA-DCF) has been separated from regular DCF application processing. The application process for households applying at the SSA office is discussed in 1417.
1411.1 How to Apply - Applicable to All Programs - Application forms can be requested from any local DCF office, DCF access site, or KDHE-DHCF Outstationed Worker site. An application can be filed in person, through an authorized representative (for Food Assistance), by mail, by fax, or electronically online. See also 1411.5 regarding Universal Access. DCF has one paper application form for food assistance, TANF (including Refugee) and Child Care. The revised (10-13) ES-3100 is now titled “Application for Benefits”. All requests for medical assistance must now be made on KDHE-DHCF forms as follows:
The revised ES-3100 has space for 4 persons in a household. If the household is applying for more than 4 persons, they should complete the ES-3100 Addendum – Additional Persons. Each page (front and back) contains questions for 2 persons.
Both DCF and KDHE-DHCF offer online applications. The DCF online application
allows an individual to apply for the Food Assistance, Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF), and Child Care programs. The KDHE-DHCF online
application allows an individual to apply for the medical assistance programs.
NOTE: Online applications for medical assistance received
through the KDHE-DHCF Customer Self-Service Portal (CSSP) will be routed
to either DCF or KDHE-DHCF (or both) for processing depending on the type(s)
of assistance requested.
When an application is requested, the local DCF office shall help the household identify their service needs and assure that the individual receives all necessary applications. For example, an individual expressing concerns about not having enough food should be encouraged to apply for food assistance benefits. The individual shall be encouraged to file the application the same day – in person, by fax, or electronically online. (See 1411.2 below for the application date of an online application). An application shall be mailed to the household the same day the request is received.
NOTE: If the applicant household is homeless and they have no physical street address to list, the application shall be so noted and accepted by the agency.
For ongoing recipients who have completed the ES-3100 application form and who subsequently request additional assistance under a different program (e.g., a Food Assistance recipient who requests cash assistance) and for situations in which an additional program is added to a pending ES-3100 application based on a client's request, the following provisions shall apply:
If the new program (including the
EM child care) is requested within the month following the month of
application or in the first month of the new review period, a new
application, signature, or interview is not required (assuming an
interview has already occurred for the open program). The date of
proration shall be the date the additional request is first received
– either orally or in writing, by the agency. See 7401.
If the new program is requested
after the month following the month of application or after the first
month of the review period, a new application and interview (if applicable)
are required.
If a request is made for a new medical
program on an open medical assistance case, additional information
may be requested, but a new application is not required..
1411.2 Application Date - The date of receipt of a signed paper application in a DCF Service Center or Outstationed Worker site is considered the application date for establishing initial eligibility.
All signed applications shall be date-stamped the date received in the DCF Service Center or the Outstation Worker site.
For information regarding a faxed or copied application form, see 1212.2.
NOTE: Date-stamping of an application by non-agency
personnel does not constitute a date of
receipt for application purposes.
Example 1: An individual files an application for assistance on June 1, but fails to indicate on the form which programs he/she is requesting. The agency contacts the applicant on June 3 to determine he/she is requesting cash, medical, and food assistance. Those programs are registered with an application date of June 1.
Example 2: An application for food assistance is received on March 2. During the face-to-face interview on March 5, the applicant also requests TANF and Child Care assistance. These additional programs are registered with an application date of March 5.
1411.3 Who May File - An application for assistance shall be made by the individual in need or by another person able to act in the individual's behalf. See 1523, 2110 and 2220. If the applicant or his representative signs by mark, the names and addresses of two witnesses are required. Obtaining the signatures of all persons in the family group who are requesting assistance and able to act in their own behalf per 2110 is encouraged, but cannot be required.
Filing
on Behalf of a Deceased Person - For medical, an application
may be made on behalf of a deceased person by any responsible person.
Application must be made in the month of death or within the three
following months.
Filing
for Institutionalized Individuals (Not applicable to the MediKan Reintegration
Program or Food Assistance Program) - When possible, all
necessary information and signed forms will be obtained by institutional
personnel. Parents, spouses, guardians/conservators and others who
may apply on behalf of the individual per 2110
must always be given the opportunity to apply on behalf of an institutionalized
person not able to act in his own behalf. If institutionalized personnel
are unable to obtain an application from the patient or any of the
above individuals, the administrator of a licensed facility may apply
on behalf of the patient. For minor children, if the length of stay
will not exceed 30 days so that parental income and assets are considered,
hospital staff are not be able to complete the application process.
General hospitals are not regarded as a licensed facility for this
purpose.
Complete applications will be forwarded to the DCF office for processing.
All information pertinent to eligibility and known
by institutional staff will be communicated to the local office. When
the institution acts as an employer to the patient, institutional
personnel will be responsible for reporting all earnings to the local
DCF office.
Generally the local DCF office where the institution
is located will process new applications. (See 1411.5
regarding Universal Access.) However, when appropriate, the local
office shall determine whether the individual is currently included
on an open cash or medical case before processing. If the individual
is included on a currently open case, the application shall be denied.
The referral and a copy of the application shall be sent to the current
county where the appropriate case action will be taken to certify
eligibility to the institution. (See 9200
(ICT).) For individuals who currently have an unmet spenddown, the
institution should be notified as no FFP can be claimed until the
spenddown is met. Medical expenses incurred at the institution shall
be considered toward the unmet spenddown and eligibility certified
when the spenddown is met.
Filing
for Individuals Requesting Tuberculosis Coverage - For persons
KDHE determines to be in need of treatment for TB (per 2692)
who are not eligible for regular medical coverage, the
Certification of Need for TB Treatment (ES-3100.3)
is normally used for application.
The form must include an authorization for care from KDHE as well as
an effective date for care.
- a copy of the ES-3903, Presumptive Medical Disability Determination Questionnaire;
- one copy of the ES-3904, HIPAA compliant Authorization to Disclose Information to Kansas Health Policy Authority;
- a completed ES-3901, Presumptive Medical Disability Team Referral; and
- a completed and signed application form or a referral to the Economic/Employment Support Reintegration (EESR) worker in the local DCF office where the hospital or prison is located so that an application can be taken.
In addition, the plan will also include the anticipated date of discharge, documentation that the individual has been referred to Social Security to make application for SSI or SSDI benefits, the individual's address and living arrangement following discharge, and an ongoing treatment plan.
The EESR worker shall have at least five working days advance notice to carry out the eligibility functions. (See 2314.) Upon receipt of the approved discharge plan, the EESR worker will need to ascertain the current eligibility status of the individual.
1411.4 Withdrawing the Application - The household may voluntarily withdraw its application at any time. The agency shall document in the case file the reason for withdrawal, if any was stated by the household, and that contact was made with the household to confirm the withdrawal. The household shall be advised of its right to reapply at any time subsequent to withdrawal.
However, when an a TANF applicant has been requested to submit to suspicion-based drug testing for TANF, a request for withdrawal or case closure to avoid a drug test, does not override a drug test request. Explanation of consequences of the drug test failure is required. See KEESM 2660. This does not apply to food assistance.
1411.5 Universal Access - Although an application is normally made in the county of residence, an individual or family can apply for and receive benefits in an area other than where they live. The DCF service center where the application is filed shall inform the client of the possible options, considerations, and consequences of having the case processed and managed from a service center other than the service center which would ordinarily serve residents of that county. If the client chooses to have benefits and services established and maintained in the service center where originally filed, the service center shall process the application and, if approved, manage the case unless there is a good reason not to. The individual would usually be expected to access all like services from the same service center except where such services need to be accessed from different locations.
The ability to be served in an area other than where the person normally resides may be appropriate when:
the natural center of business for
the person is in another county;
needed services are available in
the service center chosen and not where the individual lives;
applying for a family member, who lives in another county (e.g., a parent who needs nursing facility care).
Being served in another service center would not be appropriate where the individual is shopping for better services or a different worker, to avoid negative consequences such as a work penalty, or where court jurisdiction does not allow the case to be handled in a different Region.
If an application is mailed or left at a county office that will not be responsible for processing the application, the office shall mail the application to the appropriate office on the same day, or forward it the next day by any means to insure the application arrives the day it is forwarded (such as FAX). However, as noted above, applications for Medicaid poverty level or Title 21 coverage for children will usually be mailed to the KanCare Clearinghouse.
1411.6 Registration of
Applications – Applications for all programs that are not entitled
to expedited benefits, must be registered within two business days of
the date of application (see 1411.2). Applications that are entitled to
expedited benefits must be registered within one business day of the date
of application. For example a non-expedited online application is submitted
on a Saturday. The application date is Monday, and the application must
be registered by close of business on Wednesday. Or a non-expedited online
application is received submitted on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
The application date is the following Monday and the application must
be registered by close of business on Wednesday. For expedited, the same
policy applies except the agency has only one day to register the application.
So, an expedited application submitted online on a Saturday must be registered
by close of business on Monday. Or an expedited paper application is received
on a Friday and it must be registered by close of business on Monday.
Applications received without a benefit program request must be registered
within two business days of the date the agency determines the programs
for which the client is applying. Applications that are entitled to expedited
benefits must be registered within one business day of the date the agency
determines the programs for which the client is applying. See 1411.2.