*** The Health Care Programs Manual (HCPM) has been replaced by the Minnesota Health Care Programs Eligibility Policy Manual (EPM) as of June 1, 2016. Please refer to the EPM for current health care program policy information. ***
Effective: June 1, 2012 |
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07.20.05 - Date of Application |
Archived: June 1, 2016 (Previous Versions) |
Determining the date of application is important for several reasons:
l The start date of coverage for most programs is dependent on the application date. See Eligibility Begin Date.
l The date of application usually determines the start date of the processing period.
Follow the policies in this section to determine the date of application.
Recording the Application Receipt Date.
Setting Date of Application - MinnesotaCare.
Setting Date of Application - MA.
Setting Date of Application - MA-BC.
Date of Application - Social Security Administration (SSA) Application for Extra Help.
Date of Application - Incarcerated Individuals.
Date of Application - Minnesota Community Application Agent (MNCAA) Program.
Date of Application - Applicants with Limited English Proficiency.
Recording the Application Receipt Date
Record the application receipt date on the application form or other written request. Use of a date stamp is recommended.
Note: ApplyMN electronically date-stamps applications upon submittal. The date and time of submittal appears in the "Date Received" field.
Setting Date of Application - MinnesotaCare
The date of application for MinnesotaCare is the date a county agency, MinnesotaCare Operations or a designated outstation receives an application. A written request to apply for health care, such as the Request to Apply for Minnesota Health Care Programs (DHS-3417B), does not set the date of application for MinnesotaCare.
For applications received at a county agency and processed first for MA, the date of application for MinnesotaCare is the same as the date of application used for MA, even if the date of application was originally set by a written request to apply. However, the processing period begins the date MinnesotaCare Operations receives the application.
If a client contacts the agency to reapply, the date of application is the date of the most recent application or renewal on file, as long as the household is re-applying less than 11 months from the last completed application or the renewal received date. However, the processing period begins the date the client asks to reapply.
Setting Date of Application - MA
The date of application for MA is the date a county agency, MinnesotaCare Operations or a designated outstation receives a written request for coverage for health care or an application.
Clients can request to apply for MA by submitting any of the following to the county agency:
l A note, letter or e-mail.
l Request to Apply for Minnesota Health Care Programs (DHS-3417B).
l An application form containing the minimum required information to be considered complete.
To be considered complete, a request for coverage must contain at least the applicant’s:
l Name.
l Address or another means to contact the applicant.
Note: An application submitted with ApplyMN, even if incomplete, is sufficient to set the date of application because ApplyMN requires applicants to provide a name and address prior to submittal.
Accept any complete request to set the date of application for MA. The applicant must submit a completed application within 30 days of the request for coverage to preserve the application date.
Accept requests that are not signed or dated to set the date of application. Follow the steps in application signature when processing the application.
Note: The DHS-3417B requests the applicant’s social security number and signature. However, do not require this information to set the date of application.
For applications received at MinnesotaCare Operations and processed first for MinnesotaCare, the date of application for MA is the same as the date of application used for MinnesotaCare, except if the date of application could have been set by a written request to apply. The processing period begins the date the county receives the application.
See How to Transfer and Receive an Application for information on setting the date of application when there is an existing MAXIS case with a more recent application date.
Setting Date of Application - SSA Application for Extra Help
The date of application for Extra Help sets the date of application for Minnesota Health Care Programs. Clients who apply through SSA for Extra Help with Medicare Part D costs can choose to have SSA transmit their Extra Help application data to DHS to initiate an application for MA or MSP. Because the data sent by SSA is not sufficient to determine eligibility, DHS automatically mails a Minnesota Health Care Programs Application (HCAPP) (DHS-3417) and any forms that must be included with the application to all clients who have their application data transmitted to DHS who have a verified address. The date that SSA transmits the Extra Help application data to DHS is the start date of the MHCP processing period. Clients have until the end of the processing period to return the HCAPP. Deny MA or MSP for clients who fail to return the completed HCAPP.
See Applications for MHCP - SSA Data as a Request for MHCP for more information.
Setting Date of Application - MA-BC
The date of application for women approved for presumptive MA for Breast and Cervical Cancer (MA-BC) eligibility is the date the provider grants presumptive eligibility.
The date of application or renewal for women not approved under presumptive eligibility is the date the county agency receives the Minnesota Health Care Programs Application/Renewal for Breast and Cervical Cancer Coverage Group (DHS-3525) or an application for MA-BC submitted with ApplyMN.
Treat a Request to Reopen MA (DHS-5038) from an incarcerated individual who does not qualify for the shortened application process as a request for health care coverage for the purpose of setting the date of application. The individual must provide a completed application within the processing period to retain the date of application.
Date of Application - Minnesota Community Application Agent (MNCAA) Program
Minnesota Community Application Agents (MNCAAs) have the ability to set the date of application for Minnesota Health Care Programs.
l MNCAAs who submit a CAF cannot set the date of application for cash or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The date of application for these programs is the date the county agency receives the application. The MNCAA will inform cash or SNAP applicants that these benefits cannot begin until the county agency receives the CAF.
l Upon receipt of a signed application that contains at least the applicant’s name and address, the MNCAA stamps the application with their three-digit MNCAA ID number and enters the date they received the application in the ”Date received” box on the application.
Note: ApplyMN electronically date-stamps applications upon submittal. The date and time of submittal appears in the "Date Received" field.
See Minnesota Community Application Agent (MNCAA) Program for more information.
Date of Application - Applicants with Limited English Proficiency
Applicants with limited English proficiency (LEP) may receive help applying through the Multilingual Referral Line (MRL) service or county agencies. The date of the first contact with either the MRL service or the county agency is the date of application for LEP applicants using ApplyMN or paper applications.
When processing ApplyMN applications, if "MRL liaison" is entered in the "Organization Name" field, use the MRL service contact date and time entered in the "Is there anything else you would like us to know?" field near the end of the application as the date of application. Use that date when entering the date of application on MAXIS, MMIS and MEC². Case note that the application was an MRL service contact and that the date of application is the date of the MRL service contact rather than the application received date. Include the MRL service contact date and MRL liaison’s name and contact information. For more information on LEP procedures for applicants using ApplyMN, see Limited English Proficiency.
For more information on processing paper applications from LEP individuals, see your agency’s LEP plan.
For more information on related topics, see the following:
Applications for Health Care Programs.
MA for Breast and Cervical Cancer.