R414-306-4. Effective Date of Eligibility

  (1) Subject to the exceptions in Subsection R414-306-4(3), eligibility for any Medicaid program, and for the Specified Low-income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) or Qualified Individual (QI) programs begins the first day of the application month if the individual is determined to meet the eligibility criteria for that month.

  (2) An applicant for Medicaid, SLMB or QI benefits may request medical coverage for the retroactive period. The retroactive period is the three months immediately preceding the month of application.

  (a) An applicant may request coverage for one or more months of the retroactive period.

  (b) Subject to the exceptions in Subsection R414-306-4(3), eligibility for retroactive medical coverage begins no earlier than the first day of the month that is three months before the application month.

  (c) The applicant must receive medical services during the retroactive period and be determined eligible for the month he receives services.

  (3) To determine the date eligibility for medical assistance may begin for any month, the following requirements apply:

  (a) Eligibility of an individual cannot begin any earlier than the date the individual meets the state residency requirement defined in Section R414-302-4;

  (b) Eligibility of a qualified alien subject to the five-year bar on receiving regular Medicaid services cannot begin earlier than the date that is five years after the date the person became a qualified alien, or the date the five-year bar ends due to other events defined in statute;

  (c) Eligibility of a qualified alien not subject to the five-year bar on receiving regular Medicaid services can begin no earlier than the date the individual meets qualified alien status.

  (d) An individual who is ineligible for Medicaid while residing in a public institution or an Institution for Mental Disease (IMD) may become eligible on the date the individual is no longer a resident of either one of these institutions. If an individual is under the age of 22 and is a resident of an IMD, the individual remains a resident of the IMD until he is unconditionally released.

  (4) If an applicant is not eligible for the application month, but requests retroactive coverage, the agency will determine eligibility for the retroactive period based on the date of that application.

  (5) The eligibility agency shall determine retroactive eligibility by using the eligibility criteria in effect during the retroactive month. Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) methodology is effective only on or after January 1, 2014, and the eligibility agency may not apply MAGI methodology before that date.

  (6) The agency may use the same application to determine eligibility for the month following the month of application if the applicant is determined ineligible for both the retroactive period and the application month. In this case, the application date changes to the date eligibility begins. The retroactive period associated with the application changes to the three months preceding the new application date.

  (7) The effective date of eligibility is January 1, 2014, for applicants who file for eligibility from October 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013, and are not found eligible using 2013 eligibility criteria, but are found eligible for a coverage group using MAGI methodology.

  (8) Medicaid eligibility for certain services begins when the individual meets the following criteria:

  (a) Eligibility for coverage of institutional services cannot begin before the date that the individual has been admitted to a medical institution and meets the level of care criteria for admission. The medical institution must provide the required admission verification to the Department within the time limits set by the Department in Rule R414-501. Medicaid eligibility for institutional services does not begin earlier than the first day of the month that is three months before the month of application for Medicaid coverage of institutional services.

  (b) Eligibility for coverage of home and community-based services under a Medicaid waiver cannot begin before the first day of the month the client is determined by the case management agency to meet the level of care criteria and home and community-based services are scheduled to begin within the month. The case management agency must verify that the individual meets the level of care criteria for waiver services. Medicaid eligibility for waiver services does not begin earlier than the first day of the month that is three months before the month of application for Medicaid coverage of waiver services.

  (9) An individual determined eligible for QI benefits in a calendar year is eligible to receive those benefits throughout the remainder of the calendar year, if the individual continues to meet the eligibility criteria and the program still exists. Receipt of QI benefits in one calendar year does not entitle the individual to QI benefits in any succeeding year.

  (10) After being approved for Medicaid, a client may later request coverage for the retroactive period associated with the approved application if the following criteria are met:

  (a) The client did not request retroactive coverage at the time of application; and

  (b) The agency did not make a decision about eligibility for medical assistance for that retroactive period; and

  (c) The client states that he received medical services and provides verification of his eligibility for the retroactive period.

  (11) The Department may not provide retroactive coverage if a client requests coverage for the retroactive period associated with a denied application after the date of denial. The client, however, may reapply and the eligibility agency may consider a new retroactive coverage period based on the new application date.