Benjamin S. Wright

DHA Case No. MAP 211814 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals April 8, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF A trust is not an available asset if it was funded by a third party and the Medicaid applicant or member cannot, by the terms of the trust, require the trustee to make distributions. In this case, […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 211748 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals April 3, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF A person must be a U.S. citizen or qualifying lawful immigrant to be eligible for Medicaid. In this case, the petitioner was an immigrant with “temporary protected status.” Her Medicaid application was mistakenly approved in 2022 and the […] Read more

DHA Case No. MQB 212321 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals April 2, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF Income Maintenance agencies must assist Medicaid applicants and members with verification if asked or if they have difficulty in obtaining it. In this case, the petitioner—a 72-year old woman—faxed the required verification of her life insurance, but […] Read more

DHA Case No. MRA 211198 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 28, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF An ALJ may increase the community spouse income allocation (CSIA) if the community spouse does not have enough income to pay his or her “necessary and basic maintenance needs.” In this case, the community spouse was diagnosed […] Read more

DHA Case No. MAP 212141 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 27, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF An asset is considered unavailable if the owner documents that it will not be available for 30 days or more and a process has been started to obtain the assets. In this case, the petitioner could access […] Read more

DHA Case No. FCP 211586 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 26, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF Family Care enrollment can be backdated if agency error by the ADRC or IM causes unreasonable delay. In this case, the ADRC told the petitioner not to apply for MA until after the functional screen was completed, […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 211383 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 28, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF The patient liability for an institutionalized person generally leaves only a small amount of money for personal needs ($45 at the time of this case, now $55). In this case, the petitioner complained that her $45 per […] Read more

DHA Case No. FCP 211142 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 19, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF Family Care enrollment can be backdated if agency error by the ADRC or IM causes unreasonable delay. In this case, the petitioner filed an application October 10, but the agency never told his authorized representative of the […] Read more

DHA Case No. CWK 211595 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 22, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF The legal standards of functional eligibility for the Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS) Waiver program and for the Katie Beckett program are identical. In this odd case, the petitioner was determined functionally ineligible for her CLTS renewal by […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 211311 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 19, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF Tribal General Welfare Assistance (GWA) is exempt income only if it is based on the individual’s demonstration of need. In this case, the petitioner received GWA that was apparently not based on need. ALJ Teresa Perez concluded […] Read more

DHA Case No. FCP 211940 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 19, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF In general, all Family Care services must be authorized before they are provided. In this case, the petitioner’s assisted living facility closed and he had to move to a new one. My Choice staff met with him […] Read more

DHA Case No. MLL 211983 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 18, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF A hardship waiver for estate recovery must be mailed within 45 days of the notice from DHS. In this tragic case, the waiver was due December 25. The petitioner called Estate Recovery on December 18 to ask […] Read more

DHA Case No. MGE 211566 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 15, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF Countable assets do not include income received that month and money that is not available. In this case, the petitioner’s eligibility for July was denied because the agency counted $1,599 in Social Security (deposited July 3) and […] Read more

DHA Case No. CWK 210726 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 15, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF Individual choice of provider is a main tenant of the CLTS program. Even when a background check on a proposed provider reveals negative—but not disqualifying—findings, the County Waiver Agency must respect the participant’s choice “unless there is […] Read more

DHA Case No. CWA 211353 (Wis. Div. of Hearings and Appeals March 14, 2024) (DHS) ↓ Download PDF DHS automatically disenrolls an IRIS participant when he or she loses basic Medicaid eligibility. In this case, the petitioner failed to get his renewal verification in on time and was disenrolled from Medicaid and IRIS. Although he […] Read more