STATE DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN                        9/27/12
AND FAMILIES                                             
Family Services
Docking State Office Building
Room 581 - West
Topeka, Kansas 66612

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

A brief overview of the major changes is described below. Other clarifications and technical corrections are also included and described in the next section. Additional technical corrections not mentioned here are being incorporated in KEESM as needed.

Food Assistance – This revision incorporates the annual adjustments to the Food Assistance Program that are effective October 1 of each year. The gross and net income limits have increased this year in addition to increases to the standard deductions. The Standard Deduction for household sizes of 1-3 is increasing to $149, household size of 4, $160, household size of 5, $187, and household sizes of 6 or more, $214. In addition, the maximum excess shelter deduction is changing from $459 to $469. The SUA is increasing to $364 and the LUA is increasing to $188. Not changing for October are the maximum allotment amounts. These changes were processed with rollover in August, effective for October 1, 2012. Information about these changes was provided prior to rollover in August.

Medical Assistance – Provisions have been added concerning the new KDHE-DHCF online medical assistance application. A new resource exemption for otherwise disqualifying life insurance policies has been added. Inmates of the state correctional facilities may now receive limited medical assistance to cover inpatient hospital services. Reference to the PRTF-CBA HCBS grant program is being removed from the manual because the program ends effective 9-30-2012.

Successful Families – Policy on Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault (DV/SA) services for TANF recipients is being added to KEESM.

DESCRIPTION, PURPOSE, AND DETAILS OF POLICY CHANGE

1. All Programs
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. 2010 Census Earned Income – The link to Policy Memo #00-03-01 re: "Exempting Census Income" is being removed as the census income information is available in 6410 (64).
         
         
      2. ICT Transfers – Policy is being rewritten to reflect the agency’s change regarding business processes. All reported changes are to be completed by the office where the information is received. Business processes now allow cases to be CARC’ed and One-Note files to be transferred by appointed staff across region boundaries. This will facilitate workers ability to update reported changes at first contact, reducing back log and repeated customer contact. The ICT checklist has also been updated to reflect these changes. The X-8 can now be initiated by either the sending or receiving office – as action required per ‘First Contact Resolution’.
         
         KEESM sections 9220 and 9222 are being updated with these changes.
         
         The information formerly in section 9221 is being incorporated into 9220 and 9221 is being marked Reserved.

         Examples:

         
         Example #1: Mary has an open case in Marysville. She goes to the DCF office in Hutchinson and reports she is now living there. The EES worker requests the supervisor CARC the open case and copy the One-Note electronic file to the West Region, Hutchinson office. This is completed while the customer is in the office. Once the transfer is complete, the EES worker performs the needed updates as per the ICT checklist. The EES worker sends an email to the Marysville Purple team notifying them of the transfer and requests the current and banked files. The Marysville office pulls and mails all files related to this customer. Once the case file is received in the Hutchinson office, it is placed in the appropriate staging area, depending on if information is due or not.
         
         Example #2: Mary has an open case in Marysville. She goes to the DCF office in Marysville to report she is moving today to Hutchinson. The Marysville EES worker completes the ICT checklist making all necessary updates and requests the supervisor CARC the case and copy the One-Note electronic file to the West Region, Hutchinson office. The Marysville office pulls and mails all current and banked files to Hutchinson. Once the file is received in Hutchinson it is placed in the appropriate staging area, depending on if information is due or not.

   2. Clarifications
      
      
   1. Computing the Overpayment – Section 11122 (5) was removed for the January 2012 revision. A sentence with a link to 11122 (5) is being removed from 11124.
      
      
2. Food Assistance
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Annual Adjustments to the Food Assistance Program Standards – Effective October 1, 2012, the following documents are being updated to incorporate the annual federal adjustments to the Food Assistance Program. The changes for 10/1/12 include an increase in the standard deduction amounts for all household sizes, an increase in the gross and net income limits, and an increase in the maximum excess shelter deduction. The SUA is increasing to $364 and the LUA is increasing to $188. Households were notified of any changes to their benefits with the mass change notice issued after rollover in August 2012.
         
         Documents being changed are:

         Appendix Item F-2, Food Assistance Program Standards
         
         Appendix Item F-3, Food Assistance Program Benefit Tables
         
         Appendix Item F-11, 130% Income Reporting Chart
         
         Form ES-1510.1, Computation of Food Assistance Benefit

      2. Standard Deduction – Section 7222 is being modified to increase the standard deduction amounts.
         
         The new amounts effective 10-01-12 are:
         
         Household size 1-3 = $149
         Household size 4 = $160
         Household size 5 = $187
         Household size 6 or more = $214
         
         
      3. Shelter Costs – Section 7226 is being modified to change the excess shelter deduction to $469. The SUA is increasing to $364 and the LUA is increasing to $188. These amounts were entered into the KAECSES-AE system prior to rollover in August 2012 and were processed automatically with rollover. Information about the implementation of the annual adjustments was provided separately.
         
         
      4. Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) – The statewide waiver of the ABAWD provisions is being extended until September 30, 2013.
         
         
   2. Clarfications
      
      
      1. Civil Rights Training – Section 1630.2 (7) is being revised to clarify that civil rights training is required annually for all staff who have access to the public. This includes Program Administrators, supervisors, case managers, office assistance staff, reception staff and others. Training shall be completed in February of each year on the Pathlore system. Local office staff are required to monitor the completions on Pathlore to insure that all required staff have completed the training. The training consists of a Power Point with important information about civil rights.
         
         
      2. Simplified Reporting and Review Periods – A technical correction is being made to 9122.2 (1) regarding 24 month review periods. The policy was changed in 9333 from only allowing 24 month review periods for households where all members get SSI, to allowing households where all adults are elderly or disabled to have 24 month review periods. This change was inadvertently not corrected in section 9122.2 until this revision.
         
         
3. Medical Assistance
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Online Application – A new online application known as the CSSP (Customer Self- Service Portal) has been developed by KDHE-DHCF. The portal allows the individual to apply for medical assistance. A separate implementation memo concerning this policy will be issued.
         
         KEESM sections 1411.1 and 1411.2 will be updated with this revision. In addition, two new forms have been created and added to the Appendix – M-6 (Medicaid Online Application Signature Page) and M-7 (Cover Letter for Unsigned Online Applications).
         
         
      2. Life Insurance – Kansas H.B. 2697, enacted effective 7-1-2012, requires the establishment of a process to allow irrevocable collateral assignment of otherwise resource disqualifying life insurance policies to the state in order to qualify for medical assistance. This gives the applicant an alternative to liquidating the policy in order to qualify for medical assistance. A separate implementation memo concerning this policy will be issued.
         
         KEESM section 5430(15) will be updated with this revision. In addition, a new form, ES-3171 (Irrevocable Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance Proceeds) has been created.
         
         
      3. Inmate Inpatient Hospital Coverage – Inmates of the state correctional facilities who would otherwise be eligible for medical assistance if not living in a penal institution may now be eligible for Medicaid to cover inpatient hospital services. No other services are covered under this program. A separate implementation memo concerning this policy will be issued.
         
         KEESM section 8111.1 will be updated with this revision. In addition, a new form, ES- 3100.1a (Correctional Facility Inmate – Qualifying Event) has been created.
         
         
      4. Elimination of the PRTF-CBA HCBS Grant Program – The Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility – Community Based Alternative (PRTF-CBA) HCBS grant program has been eliminated effective 9-30-2012. Reference to this program is being removed from the manual.
         
         KEESM section 8218 will be revised to reference “Money Follows the Person (MFP)”. Former KEESM section 8219 will be removed.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Facilitators – Clarification has been added to confirm that the role of a facilitator is to help the applicant with the application process. They may neither sign the application nor act on behalf of the applicant.
         
         KEESM sections 2111 and 2112 will be updated with this revision.
         
         
4. Successful Families
   
   
1. Changes
   
   
   1. Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault – Policy is being added to KEESM 3330.9 to reflect changes in how staff are to refer TANF recipients to their local DV/SA Centers, how information regarding on-going services are to be provided and reported on, and appropriate actions to take as TANF recipients leave the DSA (DV/SA) work activity.
      
      Policy Memo 12-08-01 provides instructions and information regarding DSA.
      
      
2. Clarfications
   
   
   1. Agency's Responsibilities For the Interview – KEESM 1412.3(3) is being updated to reflect the 48 month time limit.

FORMS (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)

Food Assistance

ES-524, Food Assistance Disqualified Recipient Report– The KEESM citations on this form are being corrected.

ES-1510.1, Computation of Food Assistance Benefit

Medical Assistance

ES-3100.1a, Correctional Facility Inmate – Qualifying Event

ES-3171, Irrevocable Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance Proceeds

Successful Families

ES-4415, DCF/DSA Monthly Progress Report – Customer reporting form for activities and hours within the DSA component.

ES-4416, DCF/DSA Referral Form – Customer referral form to the local DV/SA Center.

APPENDIX (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)

All Programs

X-8, ICT Checklist is being updated to reflect the new business processes.

Food Assistance

F-2, Food Assistance Program Standards

F-3, Food Assistance Program Benefit Tables

F-11, 130% Income Reporting Chart

Medical Assistance

M-6, Medicaid Online Application Signature Page

M-7, Cover Letter for Unsigned Online Applications

Successful Families

E-4, TANF 48 Month Time Limit Questions – This item has been updated to accurately reflect the date to begin counting months of TANF assistance is October 1, 1996. It was reposted in the Appendix section in August 2012.

E-15, Work Readiness Screening - This item is being modified to include questions to identify survivors qualifying for the DSA activity.

MISCELLANEOUS FORMS (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)

EFFECTIVE DATE

All polices in this revision are effective October 1, 2012. Additional information is being included in the Implementation Memo.

EFFECT ON LOCAL STAFF

1. Food Assistance
   
   The food assistance mass change will have no impact on staff as these changes were automated in the KAECSES system. The requirement for annual Civil Rights Training will have minimal impact for persons being trained and a somewhat larger impact for persons responsible for monitoring the training.

2. Successful Families
   
   The changes included in this memo will require staff to monitor TANF customers for compliance in the DSA work program activity. This will require extra effort from staff, but is not outside the scope of their current duties.

MATERIALS OBSOLETED BY THIS REVISION

POLICY NO. 00-03-01, Census Income

COORDINATION EFFORTS

Within EES, the material in this letter and manual revision has been coordinated with staff in Economic and Employment Services, the EES Program Administrators, and the Implementation Planning Team.

Sincerely,
Karen Beckerman, EES Assistant Director
Economic and Employment Services
KB:am