KANSAS DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES
Family Services
DCF Administration Building
555 S. Kansas Ave., 6th Floor
Topeka, KS 66603
| To: |
Regional Directors
Economic and Employment Services Program Administrators
Economic and Employment Services Staff
KDHE-HCF Staff, including the KanCare Clearinghouse
Prevention and Protection Services Administrators
Other Staff |
Re: |
Summary of Changes for Kansas Economic and Employment Services Manual (KEESM) Revision No. 76 effective May 1, 2016 |
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.
Child Care – New poverty level guidelines have been published by the Department of Health and Human Services. These guidelines affect the eligibility standards in the Child Care program.
Food Assistance – A change is being made to remove the father of the unborn from the ABAWD exemptions to align with USDA regulations.
Medical Assistance – Changes for costs related to Medicare Part D and the Subsidy program were effective January 1, 2016. The benchmark premium amount for Kansas and the amount of prescription co-payments are now reflected in KEES.
New Federal Poverty Levels are effective May 1, 2016. This impacts several categories of Medicaid and CHIP. The new levels are reflected in an update Kansas Medical Assistance Standards, F-8. Implementation instructions will be issued separately.
DESCRIPTION, PURPOSE, AND DETAILS OF POLICY CHANGE
- All Programs
- Changes
- Complaint Procedures and Civil Rights Complaints– "Performance Reporting System Coordinator" is being changed to "Integrity Manager" in KEESM 1620.3 and 1630.3. "Office of Human Resources, EEO Section" is being replaced with "Personnel Services" in KEESM 1630.2 and 1630.3.
- Clarifications
None
- Food Assistance
- Changes
- Persons Exempt from the ABAWD Provision – KEESM 2521(4) is being changed to remove the father of the unborn as an exemption to align with federal regulations.
- Clarifications
- Paternity Establishment – Clarification is being added in KEESM 2167.1 that Food Assistance benefits should not be delayed for a pending paternity referral for all Food Assistance households.
- Billed Medical Expenses, One Time Expenses – The note after KEESM 7227.5(7)(a) is being removed to align with current ABAWD review period policy.
- Review Periods for Food Assistance – Clarification is being added to KEEM 9372(2) that households where all adults are elderly or disabled with no earned income shall be certified for a 24-month period. Verbiage is also being added to the note at the end of 9372, indicating that if an adult that is not elderly or disabled enters the Food Assistance household, the household can no longer be certified for 24 months.
- Food Assistance, TANF, and Childcare
- Changes
None
- Clarifications
- Application Date – Text is being removed from KEESM 1411.2 to clarify the date of receipt of paper applications applies only to receipt in the DCF service center or out-stationed worker site.
- Food Assistance and TANF
- Changes
None
- Clarifications
- Trust Funds and Annuities – Clarification is being added to 5600 that when a trust must be reviewed, a completed B-6 needs to be emailed to the Food Assistance Program Manager.
- Medical Assistance
- Changes
- Medicare Part D Subsidy – Costs related to the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage are changing for 2016.
The following co-payments for dual eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries were effective January 1, 2016:
- For individuals eligible for QMB, LMB or ELMB, the co-payments increased from $2.65 to $2.95 per generic and from $6.60 to $7.40 per brand name.
- For full Medicaid eligibles with income at or below 100 percent of FPL, the co-payment will remain $1.20 per generic and $3.60 per brand name.
- For full Medicaid eligible with income above 100 percent of FPL, the co-payment increased from $2.65 to $2.95 per generic and from $6.60 to $7.40 per brand name.
The benchmark subsidy premium for Kansas also changed from $30.32 to $30.67 effective January 1, 2016. This figure impacts the amount of Medicare Part D subsidy a beneficiary can receive. The subsidy will provide coverage of the lowest premium a Part D plan offers, up to the basic premium level for the state. A beneficiary receiving the subsidy may elect an enhanced or high-cost plan, but he/she is responsible for the difference between the benchmark and the actual premium amount.
KEESM section 2675.4 is being updated with this revision.
- Clarifications
- Spousal Impoverishment – Clarification is being added to indicate that the spousal impoverishment provisions apply to all legally married couples, including those that are separated or legally separated.
KEESM sections 8144 and 8244 are being updated with this revision.
FORMS (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)
Employment Services
ES-4104, Cooperative Work Site Agreement - This form is being clarified to make it easier to understand. The Party of the Second Part has been identified as the DCF Designated Representative, instead of the DCF Area Director.
ES-4105, Cooperative Community Service Program Agreement - The Party of the Second Part has been identified as the DCF Designated Representative instead of the DCF Area Director. A copy has been attached and should probably go through concurrence.
ES-4105.1, Cooperative Community Service program Agreement Addendum - The PDF is the correct form. The DOC is the wrong form and is being removed.
ES-4305, TANF Sample Cases Review Guides -This is being updated to reflect current procedures, policy, and agency nomenclature.
ES-4308, Hardship Exemption Calculator - This is being changed to reflect 36 months instead of 60 months.
IS-4315 EES & RS(Referral Communication Form)- This is being revised to correct a spelling error, remove the reference to GA, and CASAS is being changed to TABE.
Food Assistance
ES-3116, Simplified Reporting for Food Assistance Households- "Case Name" and "Number" is being added.
Medical Assistance
ES-3104.6, Determination Worksheet for Pickle Eligibles and Other Protected Medical Groups - A row was added to the Total COLA Ratio table for the 1-15 through 12-15 Period of Last SSI Payment.
APPENDIX (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)
Child Care
F-1, Monthly Family Income and Family Share Deduction Schedule. This is being updated based on May 2016 poverty level amounts.
Employment Services
E-2, Income and Support Plan - This is being updated to reflect current procedures, policy, and agency nomenclature. The minimum wage is being updated to $7.25 per hour.
E-8 - The title on the Appendix list is being changed from Self-Sufficiency Agreement Format to Self-Sufficiency Agreement. The 05-03 revision is being replaced by the 10-15 version currently in use.
E10, Comparison of TANF and FA E&T Employment Services - This is being updated to reflect current policy, and minor errors are being corrected.
E-12, EES Screening Tool for Referral to Rehabilitation Services - This is being updated to reflect current policy and agency nomenclature.
E-14, Work Program Assessment Protocol - This is being revised with corrected references to procedures and forms.
R-4, EES/RS Coordination Procedure/Best Practice - This is being corrected to show the correct form as R-5 not #116 in the Appendix.
T-1, Components to Meet Work Requirements/Participation - This is being revised to show new components being used and some of the components no longer allowed have been deleted.
X-6, Definitions of Common Terms - The following definitions are being modified:
Contracted Employment Services: “Applicant Job Search” is being removed and “TABE” is replacing “CASAS.”
Job Contact: The hours of participation per job contact verbiage is being removed.
Kansas Competency System is being removed, as it is no longer valid.
Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is replacing the Kansas Competency System.
Food Assistance and Successful Families
B-6, Request for Trust/Annuity Clearance - Added case number, removed medical assistance information, added note to email the form and attachments to the Food Assistance Program Manager, and added note that supplemental needs trust do not need to be submitted to the Food Assistance Program Manager for review.
Medical Assistance
F-8, Kansas Medical Assistance Program Standards,
MISCELLANEOUS FORMS (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)
EFFECTIVE DATE
Changes for costs related to Medicare Part D and the Subsidy program were effective January 1, 2016. New Federal Poverty Levels are effective 05-01-16.
EFFECT ON LOCAL STAFF (No significant effect if not explained below.)
Child Care
The child care changes listed will have a significant effect on local staff, as some eligibility requirements, processes and procedures are being changed with this revision. Staff will need to be vigilant in determining if reported household changes result in case closure, or if a case will need to remain open. Staff will also need to make certain that alerts are set in cases in which eligibility is extended for three months.
MATERIALS OBSOLETED BY THIS REVISION
Forms
ES-3100.9, Grandparents as Caregivers Assistance Application - This is being obsoleted because it is no longer current and the Application for Benefits (ES-3100) is the correct form to use.
ES-4316, Screening Referral Form - This is being deleted because we now use the ES-4412.
ES-4418, KeyTrain Referral/Turnaround Form - This is being deleted, as we no longer do the KWK.
Appendix
E-3, Income and Support Plan - This is being deleted, as it is no longer used.
E-7, Case Management Summary Form - This is being deleted, as it is no longer used.
Miscellaneous Forms
ALDS-1, Adult Learning Disability Screening
Prior authorization Form (for purchase > $2,000)
COORDINATION EFFORTS
This change was coordinated with staff in EES, Executive leadership, KDHE, and the EES Program Administrators.
Sincerely,
Sandra Kimmons, EES Director
Economic and Employment Services
SK:am |