2650 Medical Only Coverage Related to Refugees (MA RM and Extended Medical) - Medical assistance funded under the refugee program is available to both adults and children meeting the RE program requirements but who are not eligible for cash benefits due to excess income and for single adults and childless couples that are requesting medical only benefits. This includes caretakers. See 2400 and subsections. Eligibility is limited to 8 months including the month of entrance into the United States. After the 8th month, assistance shall be discontinued unless the individual is otherwise eligible for another medical program.
NOTE: Refugees meeting the eligibility criteria of SI, MS, poverty level, or the other MA programs shall be determined eligible under that program rather than MA RM. This does not apply to the HealthWave program.
RE and MA RM persons and Family Medical recipients who are not eligible for TransMed (KFMAM) and who lose medical eligibility due solely to increased earnings shall be eligible for extended medical coverage without meeting additional requirements except act in own behalf (2110), cooperation (2120 and subsections) and residence (2180). The extension of medical eligibility under this provision continues through the individual's 8th month in the United States. Thereafter, medical coverage is discontinued unless the person otherwise qualifies as stated above.
In order to qualify for extended medical, the refugee must have actually received medical coverage, then lost it due to the increased earnings. For MA RM, the person will qualify when he or she is receiving medical coverage with no spenddown or a met spenddown, then goes to a new spenddown because of the earnings. This is true regardless of the amount of the new spenddown or the person's ability to meet it. An MA RM person with an unmet spenddown at the time of the new or increased income would not qualify since the person was not a "recipient." For RE, the person must not only lose the cash assistance but also have countable income which would result in a spenddown for MA RM. Coverage under this provision is also available only during the 8 month residence limitation.
NOTE: For RE, the receipt of an extra paycheck (e.g., 5th pay period, bonus, etc.) does not qualify to be considered as an increase in earned income.