*** The Health Care Programs Manual (HCPM) has been replaced by the Minnesota Health Care Programs Eligibility Policy Manual (EPM) as of June 1, 2016.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: September 1, 2009 |
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16.10 - Who Must Cooperate |
Archived: June 1, 2016 (Previous Versions) |
Custodial parents, non-parent relative caretakers and guardians who are referred for medical support must cooperate with the IV-D Agency as a condition of their own eligibility unless they show good cause for non-cooperation.
What If Clients Do Not Cooperate?
For medical support, cooperation may include:
l Establishing paternity of eligible dependent children.
l Establishing an order for medical support, or enforcing an existing order.
l Providing information about non-custodial parents.
l Forwarding any medical support payments received directly from the non-custodial parent to the Department of Human Services (DHS).
What If Clients Do Not Cooperate?
Parents, relative caretakers and guardians who do not cooperate with medical support or provide evidence to support a good cause claim are not eligible for any Minnesota Health Care Program coverage. However, if the parent, relative caretaker or guardian does not cooperate, eligibility for the children and the caretaker's spouse is not affected.
Exception: Pregnant women are not required to cooperate with medical support; see Pregnant Women and Newborns for more information.
Example:
Jeanine, her two children, and her husband Neil, who is the children's
stepfather, are eligible for MinnesotaCare. Jeanine fails to cooperate
in obtaining medical support for the children and is found not to have
good cause.
Action:
Close Jeanine's MinnesotaCare coverage. However, her children and Neil
are still eligible if they meet all other program requirements.
When a parent's, relative caretaker's or guardian's health care coverage is closed due to non-cooperation with medical support:
l Close with 10-day notice.
Example:
Felicia and her two children are eligible for Medical Assistance (MA).
On May 26, Felicia's worker is notified by IV-D that Felicia is not cooperating
with medical support and does not have good cause.
Action:
Close Felicia’s MA coverage effective July 1 (the first month for which
10-day notice can be given). The children remain eligible if they continue
to meet all other program requirements.
l Health care coverage cannot be approved until the parent, relative caretaker or guardian cooperates. If the parent, relative caretaker or guardian cooperates:
n MinnesotaCare coverage may begin the first available month after cooperation.
n MA may reopen the first of the month in which cooperation occurs.
Example:
Felicia reapplies for MA on September 17, and requests retro coverage back
to August 1. On September 19, she is instructed to contact the IV-D worker
to find out what she needs to do to cooperate, and cooperates on the same
day. She meets all other program requirements.
Action:
Approve Felicia's MA effective September 1. She cannot be approved for
August since September was the first month in which she cooperated.
For further information, see:
When to Refer for Medical Support.