Showing posts with label medicaid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medicaid. Show all posts

Monday, December 6, 2010

ND Medicaid 1619(b) Threshold for 2011

State 1619(b) Medicaid threshold amounts for calendar year 2011 have been published.
The North Dakota Threshold for 2011 is $38,049.
Section 1619(b) of the Social Security Act provides one of the most powerful work incentives currently available for SSI recipients: continued Medicaid eligibility for working individuals whose earned income is too high to qualify for SSI cash payments, but not high enough to offset the loss of Medicaid. The Social Security Administration uses a threshold amount to measure whether an individual’s earnings are high enough to replace his/her Medicaid benefits.
Source: POMS SI 02302.200

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Services Covered by North Dakota Medicaid


Medicaid covers a specific list of medical services. Some covered services have limitations or restrictions. It is a recipient's responsibility to ask a medical provider whether a particular service being provided is covered by Medicaid. Do not assume that all of the medical services you receive are covered and paid by Medicaid. Non-covered medical services are the recipient's responsibility. The services listed below are a general listing, some covered services have limitations or restrictions.

Hospital

Inpatient: Covers room and board, regular nursing services, supplies and equipment, operating and delivery room, X-rays, lab and therapy.

Outpatient: Covers emergency room services and supplies, lab, X-ray, therapies, drugs and biologicals, and outpatient surgery.

Nursing Facility

Covers room and board, nursing care, therapies, general medical supplies, wheelchairs, and durable medical equipment.

Clinics, Rural Health Clinics

Covers outpatient medical services and supplies furnished under the direction of a doctor.

Hospice

Provides health care and support services to terminally ill individuals and their families.

Physicians

Covers medical and surgical services performed by a doctor; supplies and drugs given at the doctor's office; and X-rays and laboratory tests needed for diagnosis and treatment.

Prescription Drugs

Covers a wide range of, but not all, prescription drugs, insulin, family planning prescriptions, supplies, and devices. Requires a prescription from a doctor. Pharmacists can tell you if a particular drug is covered by Medicaid.

Chiropractor

Covers X-rays and manual manipulation of the spine for certain diagnosis.

Health Tracks (EPDST)

Covers screening and diagnostic services to determine physical and mental status, and treatment to correct or eliminate defects or chronic conditions and help prevent health problems from occurring for children under 21. Also covers orthodontia and vaccinations.

Home Health

Covers nursing care, therapy and medical supplies when provided in a recipient's home. Care must be ordered by a physician and provided by a home health agency.

Durable Medical Equipment and Supplies

Covers medical supplies such as oxygen and catheters and reusable equipment that is primarily medical in nature. Items must be medically necessary and do not include exercise equipment, personal comfort or environmental control equipment.

Dental

Covers exams, X-rays, cleaning, fillings, surgery, extractions, crowns, root canals, dentures (partial and full) and anesthesia.

Family Planning

Covers diagnosis and treatment, drugs, supplies, devices, procedures and counseling for persons of child bearing age.

Sterilization

Covers sterilization procedures if: (1) The recipient is at least 21 years old; (2) The recipient is legally competent; (3) The recipient signs an informed consent form; and (4) At least 30 days but not more than 180 days have passed between the signing of the consent form and the sterilization.

Podiatry

Covers office visits, supplies, X-rays, glucose and culture checks, and surgery procedures.

Mental Health

Covers psychiatric and psychological evaluations, inpatient services in a psychiatric unit of a hospital, individual-group-family psychotherapy, partial hospitalization services, and inpatient psychiatric and residential treatment centers services for individuals under 21 for the care and treatment of metal illness or disorders.

Ambulance

Covers ground and air ambulance trips, attendant, oxygen, and mileage when medically necessary to transport a recipient to the closest health care facility meeting his needs. House Bill 1282 permits ambulance personnel to refuse transport to an individual where medical necessity cannot be demonstrated and recommend an alternative course of action for the individual. If the ambulance was not medically necessary, Medicaid will not pay for the service.

Transportation

Covers non-emergency transportation services to and from the recipient's home to the closest medical provider capable of providing a medically necessary examination or treatment.

Vision

Covers exam, glasses, frames and some hard contact lenses for the correction of certain conditions. Replacement eyeglasses may only be provided after a minimum of 12 months for children under 21 or 36 months for adults if a lens change is medically necessary. An exception to the replacement limitation may be made if new eyeglasses are required for a significant change in correction and the eyeglasses are prior approved. Lost or broken glasses for individuals over 21 will not be replaced within the first three years.

Therapies

Covers physical and occupational therapy and speech and language pathology.

Waivered Services - Home and Community Based Services, Traumatic Brain Injury

Provides personal care and other services not otherwise covered under the Medicaid program to individuals who are at risk of institutionalization in a nursing facility.

Out-of-State Services

Medically necessary covered services may be provided outside of North Dakota if the services are not available within North Dakota and have been prior approved by the department or if the services are provided in an emergency situation.


Source: Website of the North Dakota Department of Human Services at http://www.nd.gov/dhs/services/medicalserv/medicaid/covered.html.



Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Monday, September 27, 2010

Health Care Reform - Changes in Law


This past week was the six month anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act by President Obama. Several important pieces of the health care reform bill went into effect on September 23, 2010. This post highlights the most important changes in federal health care law. In addition, it provides more information on www.healthcare.gov, a national website that has valuable information for everyone wanting more information.

In effect as of September 23, 2010:

Rescission is Outlawed
Insurance companies aren’t allowed to drop people’s coverage when they get sick (this is known as “rescission”).

New Coverage Options for Children
Insurance companies aren’t allowed to deny coverage to children under 19 because of pre-existing conditions.

Children can stay on (or be added to) their parents’ insurance policies until they turn 26, if they can’t get insurance through a job. This applies to all insurance plans that provide dependent coverage. A new open enrollment period for children starts on September 23, 2010 and is required by law to continue for at least 30 days.

Ban on Lifetime Coverage Limits
For new individual insurance and all group plans, insurance companies aren’t allowed to put caps on the amount they will spend on lifetime coverage costs on “essential benefits”. Essential benefits include hospital stays, doctor visits, and prescription drugs.

Annual limits are restricted in all group plans and in new individual plans. Starting in 2014, annual limits will be banned completely.

More Preventive Services Covered by Private Health Coverage
All new group and individual plans will have to cover certain recommended preventive services, like cancer and diabetes screenings. Insurance companies will be required to offer these services free to the patient - without deductible, coinsurance, or copayment charges.

In effect in 2011:

Prescription Drug Discounts for People who Fall in Medicare’s Donut Hole
Starting January 1, 2011, people on Medicare who fall within the prescription drug coverage gap (the “donut hole”) will get a 50% discount on brand name prescription drugs and a 7% discount on generics.

These discounts are in addition to the annual rebates for people who fall in Medicare’s “donut hole”.

The website www.HealthCare.gov can provide you with invaluable information on changes under the health reform bill, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA).

For beneficiaries, there is an easy-to-use tool on this website called “Find Insurance Options”. Beneficiaries can use this tool by themselves to learn about the health care options that are available to them, given their circumstances (age, health condition, etc.). For example, it will provide information on specific Medicaid categories that they may be qualified for. It can ba found at: http://finder.healthcare.gov/ .

To read about changes to the High Risk Pool program in you state, go to http://www.healthcare.gov/law/provisions/preexisting/index.html and enter in your state. You will learn about how your state has chosen to implement its Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan program, which can either supplement or replace the existing state High Risk Pool. There is also a timeline on the website showing major changes that occur each year, with links to more information on each change.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A FREE WISE WEBINAR HIGHLIGHTING SUPPORTS AND SERVICES FOR TICKET HOLDERS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITIES

JUNE 23, 2010 FROM 3:00 – 4:30 PM (EASTERN)
If you are a person with a mental health disability interested in learning about the Ticket to Work Program or other Social Security Work Incentives, you can attend a FREE Web-based education event on work incentives! This first-ever Mental Health Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE) Webinar will feature presentations by people who know the ins and outs of all available work incentives, including the Ticket Program. A success story of a Social Security beneficiary who used work incentives successfully will be shared. We will also be joined by a mental health peer counselor who currently works encouraging other people with mental health disabilities in their recovery through work.
Want specific information on how work and work earnings will impact your personal Social Security disability benefits? Please visit www.ssa.gov/work or www.choosework.net to get more information and to find a list of resources available in each state, including the Work Incentives Planning Assistance (WIPA) projects, professionals who can provide more information on your individual situation.
Register for this free WISE Webinar or find WISE events in your area at www.cessi.net/wise.
Approximately 2 days before the event, all those who have registered will receive an e-mail message with instructions on how to log in to the Webinar.
If you have questions, please email wise@cessi.net or call 1-877-743-8237 (v/tty).

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Legislative/Policy News







Major Events Last Week

Medicaid

The full Senate began consideration of a tax extenders bill. The bill includes the six month extension of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's temporary increase in the federal share of Medicaid spending (FMAP). It is unclear if the Senate has the 60 votes needed to pass the bill. Many Senators have expressed concern about the growing deficit and the need to pay for additional spending.

ADA/Olmstead

The U.S. Department of Justice reached settlement agreements under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Smyth County, Virginia and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to improve access to their facilities, programs and services, including polling places and emergency services. Lancaster County was ordered to pay $1,000 to a veteran who was denied access to the court system. Title II applies to state and local governments. For additional information, see:

Technology

The House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet held a hearing on HR 3101, the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009, sponsored by Representative Edward Markey (D-MA.). The bill would enable people with disabilities to fully use broadband services and equipment and provide better access to video programming devices such as remote controls, menus on DVD players, etc. Read testimony and download the video at:




Major Events Ahead

Medicaid

The Senate is tentatively scheduled to vote on the tax extenders bill this week, though it is unclear if it will have the 60 votes needed to move forward. As of press time, the Senate bill includes the six month extension of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's temporary increase in the federal share of Medicaid spending (FMAP). While the majority of Senators have previously voted for the extension, negotiations continue as the Senate tries to find enough votes to avoid a filibuster and pass the bill.


Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Monday, April 12, 2010

Bill Proposed to Raise SSI Asset Limit


On March 24th, Congresswoman Tsongas (D-MA), along with Congressman Petri (R-WI), introduced the SSI Savers Act of 2010 (H.R. 4937) proposing to reform the asset test in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, the primary provider of subsistence cash to extremely low-income individuals, seniors, and people with disabilities.

In general, eligibility for SSI is limited to those who have assets of $2,000 or less for an individual and $3,000 or less for a couple. The SSI test generally counts all resources deemed accessible to an individual, including defined-contribution retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s and IRAs, under the asset limit.

H.R. 4937 proposes to remove savings disincentives in SSI by:

  • Raising the asset limit to $5,000 for single and $7,500 for joint tax filers and indexing these limits for inflation;
  • Excluding retirement savings from inclusion in the asset test for noninstitutionalized individuals under the age of 65;
  • Excluding savings in qualified retirement accounts below a specified ceiling of (indexed for inflation) $10,000 for an individual and $15,000 for a couple or household for noninstitutionalized individuals age 65 or older;
  • Disregarding one third of the funds drawn down from retirement accounts when calculating household income for noninstitutionalized individuals age 65 or older;
  • Removing the requirement that SSI recipients, if eligible, must apply for periodic payments from their retirement savings, and;
  • Excluding Education Savings Accounts and Individual Development Accounts funded all or in part with federal dollars or defined in federal programs for those under age 65.

For more information go to http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_HR_4937.html

Source: Justice for All http://jfactivist.typepad.com/jfactivist/current_affairs/

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Health Care Reform - Changes Important to People With Disabilities


The recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) and Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (Public Law 111-152) will result in significant reform of our nation's health care system, including extending coverage to many more millions of Americans. There's a lot to learn about the new laws, and many people have questions about how the changes will take effect. It's important to remember that some changes in the new laws will not happen immediately, but will happen over a period of years, through 2019.

The attached summary was created by the World Institute on Disability. It is intended to be a "plain language" overview for the general public, with a timeline showing major implementation dates, so that people can get a better understanding of the changes that will affect them in the short-term, to help people prioritize what to focus on first, and learn the details in stages.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Children With Medically Fragile Needs Medicaid Waiver

The goal of this waiver is to assist families in keeping their child at home.

This waiver is "parent driven" meaning the parent determines what their family can and cannot do.

The waiver is designed to assist qualifying medically fragile children between the ages of 3 and 18 years old.

The child needs to be living at home, be Medicaid eligible, and be able to meet Level of Care criteria for nursing home.

The following waiver services are in addition to what the ND Medicaid State Plan covers: Transportation, Dietary Supplement, Individual and Family Counseling, In Home Support, Equipment and Supplies, Environmental Modifications, Institutional Respite, and Case Management.

To begin the process, contact the Program Manager at 701-328-3701 or 800-755-2604 and complete an application.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

New Commission to Address Debt, Social Security

Washington Post

Faced with growing alarm over the nation's soaring debt, the White House and congressional Democrats tentatively agreed Tuesday to create an independent budget commission and to put its recommendations for fiscal solvency to a vote in Congress by the end of this year.

Under the agreement, President Obama would issue an executive order to create an 18-member panel that would be granted broad authority to propose changes in the tax code and in the massive federal entitlement programs -- including Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security......FULL STORY

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Monday, November 16, 2009

2010 1619(b) ND Medicaid Threshold for 2010

State 1619(b) Medicaid threshold amounts for calendar year 2010 our out.

"North Dakota Threshold for 2010 is $36,082"

1619(b) provides that if your earned income (after the applicable exclusions) is too high to permit a SSI cash benefit, you will still be eligible for Medicaid.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Increase in the Medically Needy Income Level

Certain people who are blind, disabled, or aged may qualify for Medicaid as part of the medically needy group. However, unlike individuals who are categorically eligible for Medicaid (such as SSI recipients), persons within the medically needy group can incur recipient liability.


Recipient liability is the amount the eligible persons are responsible to pay toward their medical expenses for the month. Recipient liability is based on the monthly income of the members of the Medicaid unit, and it is similar to the deductible amount in an insurance policy.


The Medically Needy Income Level establishes the amount of income that individuals, couples, and families may keep to meet their maintenance needs without having recipient liability. Before July 1, 2009, the Medically Needy Income Level was $500 per month for a one-person household and $516 per month for a household of two persons.


As of July 1, 2009, this income level is $750 per month for a one-person household and $1,008 per month for a two-person household. See the following chart for the income levels for households consisting of more than two persons.



Number of Persons

Monthly Income Level

1

$750

2

1008

3

1267

4

1526

5

1784

6

2043

7

2302

8

2560

Effective July 1, 2009

For each person in the medically needy unit above eight, add $259 to the monthly amount.

This information was obtained from section 510-05-85-40(2) of the Medicaid Program Policy Manual.



Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

U.S. Senate Introduces Bill to Increase Participation in Clinical Trials for Rare Diseases

September 16, 2009
Last night, the Senate followed the House’s lead in introducing legislation to allow patients with rare diseases to participate in clinical studies without losing their eligibility for government healthcare benefits.

“The CF Foundation applauds the Senate co-sponsors for introducing this vital bill to allow more people with rare diseases — including cystic fibrosis — to participate in clinical trials," said Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “If successful, this legislation will help ensure swift advancement of life-lengthening and potentially lifesaving drugs from the research phase to the people who need them.”

Currently, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) rules require that compensation provided for participation in a clinical trial be counted as income when determining benefits. Because Medicaid benefits are tied to SSI eligibility, patients who take part in clinical trials may be disqualified from receiving the government healthcare coverage. This penalty prevents many people with rare diseases from participating in clinical studies.

Researchers developing drugs to treat rare diseases like cystic fibrosis struggle to recruit participants for clinical trials because of limited patient populations. More than 30 promising CF drugs are in development, and about 30,000 people in the United States have the disease.

The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. James Inhofe (R-OK), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Chris Dodd (D-CT).

Source: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, www.cff.org.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

People With Disabilities Lose Advocate - Ted Kennedy


During his tenure in the Senate (46 years), Sen. Ted Kennedy was crucial in establishing and supporting key legislation that benefit people with disabilities. Here are a few:


  • In 1978, Kennedy co-sponsored Civil Rights Commission Act Amendments, which expanded the jurisdiction of the Civil Rights Commission to protect people from discrimination on the basis of disability.
  • Kennedy introduced the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990. The bill was designed to prohibit employers from discriminating in job hiring and in the workplace against people who had a disability.
  • His vote helped break a Republican filibuster against a bill that blocked cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.
  • Supported a bill that required pharmaceutical companies to negotiate prescription drug prices covered under Medicare Part D.
  • Voted for expanding the enrollment period for Medicare.
  • Kennedy called for extending Medicare coverage to all Americans, medical coverage for the uninsured and modernizing health care systems by using new technologies to cut costs.

  • Sponsored the Family Opportunity Act of 2006, allowing states to expand Medicaid coverage to children with special needs.
  • Sponsored the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996.
  • In 1997, he rallied for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) under which uninsured children from low-income families could get insurance.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Monday, March 30, 2009

2009 ND Medicaid Thresholds

IM 5062 ATTACHED CHART 2009 Medicaid Income Level Chart - Effective 04-01-09

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

WWD Income Level for 2009

Effective April 1, 2009, the income level for eligibility for Workers with Disabilities (WWD) coverage is $2,031 per month for one individual. This is an increase of $81 over the 2008 level of $1,950 per month. Source: IM #5062 to the Medicaid Program Policy Manual.

Income for WWD eligibility purposes is the net amount that remains after certain disregards and deductions are subtracted from gross income. For more detail, see the entry dated March 5, 2008, under the WWD topic of this blog

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

2009 Deeming Chart


Deeming is one of the most confusing and misunderstood processes SSA employs. For SSI recipients, certain peripheral incomes (i.e. spousal) may be "deemed" toward their own income when SSA calculates monthly SSI check amounts.

This is extremely important to know because "deemed" income may cause loss of SSI benefits and therefore medicaid eligibility.

Below is a deeming chart which illustrates - as effectively as a chart could - the 2009 break even points (point at which one would become ineligible for SSI) for various deeming scenarios.

Deeming Chart 2009 (1)

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

LLC Ruling


There are many questions regarding the interplay between SSA benefits and business structure. Structuring your business is an important decision and a recent ruling regarding LLC's and assets could help in deciding the best entity if you are a medicaid recipient.

OGC has issued an opinion on the LLC issue. The bottom line is that:

1. When an LLC member has conveyed property to the LLC, the member does not have a co-ownership or a transferable interest in the property and the property is not a resource attributable to the member.
2. The fact that an LLC may choose to have the entity taxed as a partnership or sole proprietorship does not alter the fact that property conveyed to the LLC is owned by the LLC, not by any of its members.
3. Property owned by an LLC (and thus, not by any of its members) cannot be excluded under the PESS provisions as property that an individual owns and uses in a trade or business.
4. An LLC member's distributional interest in the LLC, like stock in a corporation, cannot be excluded as PESS and is a resource to the extent that it can be converted to cash and used for food or shelter.

If you have a business set up as an LLC, please be aware of the potential consequences of the LLC structure, including loss of Medicaid.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Monday, November 17, 2008

1619(b) Threshold for 2009


Section 1619(b) of the Social Security Act is one of the most powerful work incentives currently available for recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI). It provides continued Medicaid eligibility for a working individual whose earned income is too high to qualify for SSI cash payments, but not high enough to offset the loss of Medicaid.

The SSA uses the “threshold” concept to measure whether an individual has sufficient earnings to replace Medicaid. For calendar year 2008, the threshold is $37,917 for a resident of North Dakota who is eligible for SSI. This threshold is $38,040 for 2009.

Therefore, if the earned income of the SSI recipient is the reason that he/she no longer receives SSI payments but his/her earned income is under $37,917 in 2008 and $38,040 in 2009, he/she can still keep Medicaid coverage. This is the general rule. For more information, please contact your Community Work Incentives Coordinator.



Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

WWD and Private Health Insurance—Scenario

John is a gainfully-employed individual with a disability, and he has healthcare coverage under Worker with Disabilities (WWD), North Dakota’s Medicaid buy-in program. He pays a premium of $80 per month for the WWD coverage. John’s employer recently told John that John has worked for the business long enough, and is working enough hours, to qualify for coverage under the employer’s health insurance plan. John’s share of the premium for this coverage would be just $40.00 per month.

Should John have both WWD coverage and the private health insurance? The answer depends on a number of factors, including what items and services the private insurance plan covers, whether John will lose the private insurance if his work hours decrease, and whether John has to pay the premiums for both WWD and the private plan.

The private insurer would be required to be the primary, or first, payer of the medical expenses covered under the plan. After that, WWD, as a Medicaid-type program, would fill in the gaps as the secondary payer.

Medicaid might pay John’s share of the premium for the private health insurance if it is "cost effective" for Medicaid to do so. If this is cost effective, Medicaid could even require John to apply for and take the private insurance so that the private insurer would pay first. However, if Medicaid required John to enroll in the private plan, Medicaid would pay the premium for the private insurance in order to save money for the WWD program. Medicaid would not require John to enroll in the private plan if Medicaid would not pay the premium for it.

John should bring this matter to the attention of his eligibility worker at the county Medicaid office for a "cost effectiveness" determination.

Source: Medicaid Program Policy Manual sections 510-05-20-05 and 510-05-20-15.



Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Another Great Benefit of WWD -- Extra Help with Medicare Part D


The Workers with Disabilities (WWD) program in North Dakota allows eligible individuals with disabilities who are gainfully employed to “buy into” Medicaid healthcare coverage by paying a monthly premium.


If you have WWD coverage and also receive Medicare benefits, you are automatically eligible for extra help with paying for your Medicare prescription drugs. This extra help is called the low-income subsidy, and it is available to you because WWD is a Medicaid-type program.



Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com