STATE DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN                3/16/15
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.

Medical Assistance – The new federal poverty levels are being adopted, including an increase in the minimum community spouse income allowance, the dependent family member allowance, and the excess shelter deduction. These changes are all effective April 1, 2015.

DESCRIPTION, PURPOSE, AND DETAILS OF POLICY CHANGE

1. All Programs
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      None
      
      
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Agent Orange Settlement Payments – A public law citation is being added to clarify that the only Agent Orange related payments that are exempt as income and a resource are those made from the product liability settlement fund.
         
         KEESM section 6410(2) will be updated with this revision.
         
         
2. Medical Assistance
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Poverty Level Changes – New federal poverty level guidelines have been published by the Department of Health and Human Services. The guidelines affect the eligibility standards for the following medical groups:
         
         
         1. Income standards for the Medicaid poverty level and CHIP programs, and premium standards for the CHIP program;
            
            
         2. Income standards for the QMB, LMB, Expanded LMB, and QWD programs;
            
            
         3. Income standards for the TransMed program;
            
            
         4. Income and premium standards for the Working Healthy (WH) program;
            
            
         5. For spousal impoverishment, the minimum community spouse income allowance increases from $1,967 to $1,992. The dependent family member allowance increases from $656 to $664. The excess shelter deduction increases from $219 to $229.

         The following KEESM Sections, Forms and Appendix items are being modified with this change:

         Sections 8144.2 and 8244.2

         ES-3104.5, Determination of Need

         ES-3163, Income Allowance Determination

         ES-3165, Working Healthy Premium Information

         Appendix Item F-8, Kansas Medical Assistance Standards.

         Separate implementation instructions will be issued to staff for these changes.

      2. Forms – A new form, ES-3821 (Notice of Medical Eligibility Review) has been created. This is the cover letter that shall be attached to the KC1500 (Medical Assistance Application for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities) sent at review.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      
      None

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

Medical Assistance

ES-3104.5, Determination of Need

ES-3163, Income Allowance Determination

ES-3165, Working Healthy Premium Information

ES-3821, Notice of Medical Eligibility Review

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

Medical Assistance

F-8, Kansas Medical Assistance Standards

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

None

EFFECTIVE DATE

Polices for this revision are effective April 1, 2015.

EFFECT ON LOCAL STAFF (No significant effect if not explained below.)

MATERIALS OBSOLETED BY THIS REVISION

None

COORDINATION EFFORTS

This change was coordinated with staff in Economic and Employment Services, Executive Leadership, and the EES Program Administrators.

Sincerely,
Sandra Kimmons, Interim EES Director
Economic and Employment Services
JR:am