Plan To Be 100

A policy bulletin has been issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services which provides additional direction on when and how a divestment penalty period runs for persons otherwise eligible of Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver services (aka the ”MIChoice” program).

Click here to read the policy bulletin, which takes effect October 1, 2018.

The point of the policy seems to be that under federal law there was uncertainty about how to start a divestment penalty period running for persons in waiver programs, like MIChoice. The source of this clarification is a federal directive to state Medicaid directors that explains why there is perceived confusion about this issue.  In fact, I think the federal letter does a better job of explaining the issue than the State Policy Bulletin.  Click here to read that letter.

In any event, the powers that be have decided that the penalty period begins to run when the person applying for MIChoice services is deemed otherwise eligible for the program, which is a four part test:

• determined that the applicant meets financial and non-financial requirements for Medicaid;
• determined that the applicant meets the level of care criteria for the 1915(c) waivers;
• determined that the applicant has an individual person-centered service plan in place; and
• confirmed there is an available waiver slot for the applicant’s placement.

Well, BEM 405, page 14, already says:

The penalty period starts on the date which the individual is eligible for Medicaid and would otherwise be receiving institutional level care (LTC, MIChoice waiver, or home help or home health services), and is not already part of a penalty period.

As far as I can tell, this current Michigan policy seems to be in line with the new proposed policy. It certainly seems consistent with the federal directive, which simply says:

the penalty period start date for a 217 applicant is no later than the point at which a 217 applicant would otherwise be receiving HCBS waiver coverage based on an approved application for such care but for a penalty

If you want to worry about something, you might look to the State’s decision to include the requirement that there be an open slot to start the penalty running. That might prove challenging for planners in the future.

So, in the end, I’m not sure how things change with this new policy, or if they really do. Nonetheless BEM 405 will presumably be rewritten to conform with the bulletin and those who practice in this area may run into snags, or avoid snags, as a result.