Medical Assistance for People Who Are Age 65 or Older and People Who Are Blind or Have a Disability

2.3.3.3.2.1.1 Income Deeming

To deem income is to count one person’s income in the calculation of another person’s income. This policy indicates whose income must be deemed to a person for Medical Assistance for People Who Are Age 65 or Older and People Who Are Blind or Have a Disability (MA-ABD). This policy also applies to Medicare Savings Programs (MSP). See the MSP chapter for more information.

Income deeming requirements are not the same as household composition rules. People may be counted in a person’s household size without having their income deemed to another member of a household.

Whose income is deemed to a person is determined separately for each person.

Income of a Spouse

Except in the situations noted below, the income of a spouse is deemed to a person if the spouses live together. If a person is not divorced but is legally separated from their spouse, and continues to live in the same household, the spouse’s income is deemed.

In the following situations, the income of a spouse is not deemed to the person:

The spouses do not live together.
Determining eligibility for Medical Assistance for Employed People with Disabilities (MA-EPD). See the MA-EPD policy section for more information about MA-EPD eligibility.
The person was enrolled in MA-EPD for 24 consecutive months before the month in which they turn age 65 and there has not been a break in MA coverage of more than one calendar month.
The person is on a Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI), Community Alternative Care (CAC), Developmental Disabilities (DD) or Brain Injury (BI) waiver.

Income of a Parent

Except in the situations noted below, for MA-ABD eligibility the income of a biological or adoptive parent is deemed to a child under age 18, not emancipated, and living with the parent.

When the father is not married to the child’s mother, deem the father’s income only if the father lives with the child and paternity has been established.

The income of a parent is not deemed to:

A child age 18-21 who is blind or has a disability.
An auto newborn from birth through the end of the month of the child's first birthday.
A person enrolled in MA-EPD, age 18 or older, and lives with one or both biological or adoptive parents.
The child is enrolled in MA under the TEFRA Option. See the MA under the TEFRA Option section for more information.
The child is on a CADI, CAC, DD or BI waiver. See the Home and Community-Based Services Waivers section for more information.

Other Household Members

When determining a person’s income for MA-ABD, income is not deemed from a:

Child to a parent
Sibling to another sibling, or other children under 21 living in the household
Stepparent to a stepchild
Grandparent to a grandchild
Relative caretaker to a child
Another person to a person with automatic MA eligibility or other deeming exceptions

Legal Citations

Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, section 435.602

Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.056, subdivision 1b