MedCom No. 15-08 was issued on April 29th by the NJ Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) to provide instructions to applicants who receive benefits from the Veterans Administration. When a person applies for Medicaid to pay for nursing home, assisted living or home care under the MLTSS program, they need to disclose their income from all sources. Each MLTSS program has its own requirements for what the Medicaid recipient can or must do with their income. Until recently, there was a running dispute over the countability of Veterans Administration Improved Pension (VAIP) benefits and what part of them was to be treated as “income.” Here is the MedCom.
A MedCom is a policy directive to the county Medicaid directors, but it is not formally adopted as a regulation. This particular MedCom confirms that VAIP is excludable as “income,” to the extent that it is based on the person’s unreimbursed medical expenses (UMS’s) which exceed a certain amount of their other income. However, a Medicaid applicant may receive monthly revenue from a variety of other veterans programs such as Widow’s benefit. Medicaid applicants need to obtain a letter from the V.A. clarifying the nature of their specific benefit and delineating which portion is actually based on the UME’s. Forms are attached to the MedCom.
If the countable income exceeds the Medicaid “income cap” ($2,199 in 2015), it will be necessary to divert the income through a Qualified Income trust (QIT) that is established before the date for Medicaid eligibility. See prior posts for more about that.
For advice on Medicaid eligibility, and for preparation& filing of your Medicaid application, call … 732-382-6070