All Medicaid Programs |
Obsolete Policy |
Effective Date: August 1, 2015 - October 31, 2019
Eligibility Criteria
Individuals who were in foster care under the responsibility of the State or a tribe at age 18 can receive Medicaid from age 18 until age 21 under the Foster Care Independent Living program. Open them on the Independent Living program only if they are not eligible for the Former Foster Care Medicaid due to not receiving Medicaid the month the individual left state custody. 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. There is no income or asset test.
These youth must meet the following criteria.
Is age 18 to 21,
Was in foster care on their 18th birthday under state custody through the Department of Human Services with the Division of Child and Family Services as the lead or case management agency, CCS URM program, or in the custody of an Indian tribe,
Is not eligible for Former Foster Care Medicaid or another Medicaid program that does not require a spenddown or premium payment. The agency must move an eligible youth to Foster Care Independent Living program when eligibility under a different Medicaid program, such as Child Medicaid, ends,
Is identified by DCFS, DHS CCS or a tribe through electronic or written verification as someone who was in foster care on his or her 18th birthday, and
Was not in the custody of the Division of Juvenile Justice Services on his or her 18th birthday.
Application & Assignment of Rights; Signature Required
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 Foster Care Independent Living 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 Foster Care Independent Living 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 Foster Care Independent Living, but the youth did not sign a signature page, DWS is to enroll the youth in Foster Care Independent Living 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 on his own using any of the approved application methods described in section 703-1. The client must sign the review form or an application to complete Assignment of Rights requirements, the TPL requirements, and to acknowledge that the client has received the information about Medicaid requirements.
DWS should open Foster Care Independent Living first, if eligibility for another MAGI group would be delayed pending a verification.
If the youth, 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 Foster Care Independent Living Medicaid. If no statement or insufficient evidence is available, approve Foster Care Independent Living Medicaid. Then, request verification. Do not deny or close for lack of such verification.
Effective Date and Retroactive Coverage
Eligibility under this group does not have to start in the month the child turns 18. If the client was in foster care upon turning 18 and meets the above criteria, eligibility can begin any month after reaching 18. Some foster care youth will remain in regular foster care past their 18th birthday, and may become eligible for the Foster Care Independent Living program sometime later. The client could still be in state custody and receive the Foster Care Independent Living program.
Clients can receive retroactive eligibility based on the date of application, if the client meets the above criteria for the retroactive months.
Medical Support Enforcement
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.
Former Foster Care Individual Medicaid
Persons eligible on the Foster Care Independent Living program can move to Former Foster Care Individuals Medicaid at review or when they turn 21. They must have been on Medicaid when they turned age 18 while in foster care. (354-3)