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All Medicaid Programs |
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Obsolete Policy |
Eligibility Criteria
This coverage group is for individuals who are in foster care under the responsibility of the state or a tribe when they turn 18 or older, and are under age 26. It includes children placed in foster care by Catholic Community Services (CCS) under the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) program who turn age 18 while in that foster care program.
To qualify for Former Foster Care, an individual must meet the following criteria:
Is age 18 to 26. Eligibility runs through the month she turns 26,
Was concurrently enrolled in Medicaid and foster care in Utah at age 18 or higher when foster care ended,
Was in the custody of DHS with DCFS as the lead or case management agency, Catholic Community Services URM program, or an Indian tribe when foster care ended. Persons in the custody of Juvenile Justice Services are not eligible.
There is no income or asset test.
The agency should approve Medicaid for coverage under the SSI recipient group or one of the MAGI coverage groups if the agency has sufficient evidence to approve that coverage. However, if the agency needs to request verification to determine eligibility for another MAGI coverage group, open the individual on Former Foster Care coverage first while waiting for verification. Do not deny or close Former Foster Care for lack of such verification.
Application & Confirmation of Foster Care Status
When an individual is about to leave foster care because she is 18 or older, DHS will work with her to help her enroll in the Former Foster Care program with DWS. DHS will ask the youth to sign a signature page, and send this form to DWS.
Upon receipt of a referral with current information about the youth from DHS, open Former Foster Care Medicaid.
DHS will forward the signed signature page to DWS if they secured one from the youth.
If DHS refers a youth to DWS to enroll in Former Foster Care, but the youth did not sign a signature page, DWS is to enroll the youth in Former Foster Care if eligible, and then request the signature page.
DWS must give the youth 30 days to provide a signed signature page.
An individual who left foster care in the past, but is not currently open on Medicaid, may apply for Medicaid using any of the approved application methods described in section 703-1.
Confirm the applicant received Medicaid coverage in the last month they were in DCFS foster care, tribal foster care or URM foster care through CCS on or after their 18th birthday.
Youth in foster care through CCS or with a tribal foster care program can be moved to the Former Foster Care Medicaid without a new application when their eligibility for Child Medicaid ends. They must be Medicaid eligible and in foster care when they turn 18. DWS needs to request a signed signature page and current address information from these youth and allow them 30 days to return it.
The agency should approve Medicaid for coverage under the SSI recipient group or one of the MAGI coverage groups if the agency has sufficient evidence to approve that coverage.
If the former foster care child, who meets the criteria in section A. states having income over the income standard for other possible Medicaid groups, accept that statement and determine eligibility for Former Foster Care Medicaid. If no statement or insufficient evidence is available, approve Former Foster Care Medicaid. Then, request verification. Do not deny or close for lack of such verification.
If it appears the youth could qualify for another coverage group, or the youth requests coverage under disability Medicaid, the agency needs to request verification to determine eligibility for the other coverage group. Open the individual on Former Foster Care coverage first while waiting for verification. Do not deny or close for lack of such verification.
Persons eligible on the Foster Care Independent Living program can be moved to Former Foster Care Individuals Medicaid at review or when they turn 21. They must have been on Medicaid when they turned 18 while in foster care to qualify for Former Foster Care Medicaid. (354-4)
Effective Date and Retroactive Coverage
Eligibility can begin the month after the foster care Medicaid ends. Clients can receive retroactive eligibility based on the date of application if the client meets the criteria in Section A. in the retroactive months.
The State is identifying those individuals who aged out of the URM program in Utah since January 1, 2014. If they are state residents and not currently eligible and receiving Medicaid through another coverage group, they will be approved back to the date they aged out.
Additionally, those individuals who aged out prior to 2014 will be contacted and informed of their eligibility for this program and encouraged to apply. If they respond by submitting an application, they will be approved according to the normal effective dates and retroactive time frames.
Signature and Assignment of Rights
The client must sign the review form or an application signature page to complete Assignment of Rights requirements, the TPL requirements and to acknowledge the client has received the information about Medicaid rights and responsibilities. This can occur after moving a current recipient to the Former Foster Care group. Allow the client 30 days to complete this process.
Medical Support Requirement
A parent with a minor child living with her who receives Medicaid is required to cooperate with Medical Support enforcement unless she can show good cause for not cooperating.