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Probate & Trust Law Section Conference Manual ... - Minnesota CLE

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to provide that an individual who is eligible for medical assistance is not<br />

eligible for <strong>Minnesota</strong>Care. The Commissioner is directed to coordinate<br />

eligibility and coverage to ensure that individuals moving between medical<br />

assistance and <strong>Minnesota</strong>Care have seamless eligibility and access to health<br />

care services.<br />

Art. 1, Sec. 49, amends Minn. Stat. § 256L.05, subd. 1, to provide that<br />

applicants for <strong>Minnesota</strong>Care may submit applications online, in person, by<br />

mail, or by phone in accordance with the Affordable Care Act, and by any<br />

other means by which an application for medical assistance may be<br />

submitted. Applications may be submitted through the <strong>Minnesota</strong><br />

Insurance Marketplace or <strong>Minnesota</strong>Care. Applications must be available<br />

at any location where medical assistance applications must be made<br />

available.<br />

Art. 1, Sec. 66, directs the Commissioner of Human Services to seek<br />

authority from CMS to allow <strong>Minnesota</strong> to continue disregarding spousal<br />

income and assets for home and community based programs. 45<br />

B. REDESIGNING HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES<br />

Article 2 of the <strong>Conference</strong> Report contains the amendments to implement the<br />

proposed redesign of the delivery system for home and community based services<br />

in <strong>Minnesota</strong>. All of Article 2 is contingent on federal approval of the Reform<br />

2020 Waiver Request. See Art. 2, Sec.60, below. Article 2 includes amendments<br />

to make the following changes:<br />

Art. 2, Sec.4, amends Minn. Stat. § 256.01, subd. 2 to designate the Senior<br />

Linkage Line and the Disability Linkage Line as the Aging and Disability<br />

Resource Center under federal law.<br />

45 The Affordable Care Act requires that States to implement the Spousal Impoverishment<br />

Rules enacted as part of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 to all home and<br />

community based waiver programs effective January 1, 2014. The <strong>Minnesota</strong> CADI waiver<br />

does not take into account spousal income or assets. This allows a CADI applicant to transfer<br />

excess assets to the Community Spouse without penalty and still qualify for benefits. The<br />

Spousal Impoverishment Rules protect a poor spouse against impoverishment, but require a<br />

wealthier spouse to reduce marital assets to the protected amount. On the other hand, the<br />

CADI waiver does not allow income to be transferred from the MA spouse to the Community<br />

Spouse. This sometimes causes problems for a low-income Community Spouse. The Spousal<br />

Impoverishment Rules allows monthly income to be transferred from the MA spouse to the<br />

Community Spouse to satisfy the Community Spouse Income Allowance.<br />

44

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