Glossary S-Z

*** The Health Care Programs Manual (HCPM) has been replaced by the Minnesota Health Care Programs Eligibility Policy Manual (EPM) as of June 1, 2016.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. ***

Glossary S - Z

The Health Care Programs Manual glossary contains definitions of many terms related to Minnesota Health Care Programs. These definitions are intended for general reference; for complete policy information, please refer to the relevant section(s) of the manual.

A small business corporation of 35 or fewer shareholders. Each shareholder reports his or her share of income or loss separately.

A free statewide comprehensive breast and cervical cancer screening program administered by the Minnesota Department of Health with a primary objective to increase the proportion of low or moderate income age-appropriate women who are screened for breast and cervical cancer.

Statewide Average Payment for a Skilled Nursing Facility. The monthly SAPSNF is used to determine the period of ineligibility for long-term care services resulting from an improper transfer.

The date on which the client has incurred medical costs that meet or exceed the medical spenddown amount.

Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement. A process which allows access to USCIS data to validate the immigration status of noncitizen applicants, or for enrollees who report a change in immigration status, for MA, RMA, and MinnesotaCare for Families with Children. Workers access the USCIS data through the Alien Status Verification System (ASVS).

An IRA-based retirement savings plan designed specifically to make it easier for small employers to establish a retirement plan for employees. A Simple IRA is a salary-reduction plan that allows employees to divert some compensation into retirement savings. Contributions to a Simple IRA are deposited into a separate account for each participating employee.

A monthly IEVS tape exchange between the Social Security Administration and DHS. It includes information on the SSI grant and income and asset information SSA uses to compute the grant. It is the State Data Exchange Report.

A federal income tax deduction that is the maximum deduction for certain property in the year the business owner purchases the property.

Employment in which people generally work for themselves rather than an employer and are responsible for their own work schedule. Self-employed people must file specific schedules as part of their federal tax returns.

An employee health insurance plan that an employer administers itself or through an insurer, trust, or agent. Under a self-insured plan, the employer provides coverage to employees directly or indirectly rather than purchasing coverage from an insurance company. Self-insured plans are regulated under the Employer Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and are not subject to state insurance regulations.

A program that provides training, counseling, and supervision services for people who need less than 24-hour care.

Simplified Employee Pension IRA. A special type of IRA that can be established by an employer or by self-employed people. Designed for small businesses, SEP IRAs have many of the characteristics of qualified pension plans, but are much simpler to set up and administer. Under a SEP IRA, each participant has his or her own Traditional IRA to which the employer contributes. The contributions are excluded from the employee’s pay and are not taxable until distributed from the plan.

Substantial Gainful Activity. A level of work activity and earnings, defined by the Social Security Administration.

A stay in a long-term care facility for less than 30 days. This includes respite care.

Semi-Independent Living Services Program. A program that provides training, counseling, and supervision services for people who need less than 24-hour care.

Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees IRA. An IRA-based retirement savings plan designed specifically to make it easier for small employers to establish a retirement plan for employees. A Simple IRA is a salary-reduction plan that allows employees to divert some compensation into retirement savings. Contributions to a Simple IRA are deposited into a separate account for each participating employee.

A special type of IRA that can be established by an employer or by self-employed people. Designed for small businesses, SEP IRAs have many of the characteristics of qualified pension plans, but are much simpler to set up and administer. Under a SEP IRA, each participant has his or her own Traditional IRA to which the employer contributes. The contributions are excluded from the employee’s pay and are not taxable until distributed from the plan.

Special Income Standard. An income standard equal to three times the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR). It is used to determine eligibility for some elderly waiver (EW) clients.

Special Income Standard Elderly Waiver. An MA program for clients who receive Elderly Waiver (EW) services and whose income is at or below the Special Income Standard (SIS).

Service Limited Medicare Beneficiary. A Medicare Savings Program that pays for the Medicare Part B premium.

State Medical Review Team. A unit at DHS that determines disability in consultation with medical professionals appointed by the commissioner.

A benefit to disabled or blind individuals who have contributed to FICA. It may be discontinued if a person reaches a certain level of income. It is also referred to as Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI).

An income standard equal to three times the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR). It is used to determine eligibility for some elderly waiver (EW) clients.

The amount that a person’s income exceeds the applicable MA income standard. People with an MA basis of eligibility may become eligible by incurring medical expenses equal to or greater than the amount of excess income. There are several types of spenddowns including monthly medical spenddown, six-month medical spenddown, LTC spenddown and combination LTC/medical spenddown.

Also known as Satisfaction Date. The date the client meets or exceeds his or her medical spenddown amount.

For purposes of Minnesota Health Care Program eligibility, a sponsor is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR) who signs a USCIS form I-864, Affidavit of Support, on behalf of a noncitizen as a condition of the noncitizen’s entry into the U.S.

An Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) set up by an employed spouse to make contributions for a non-working spouse or for a spouse who has little or no income.

An allowance for support that a court orders a person to pay to his or her current or former spouse. Formerly referred to as alimony.

Special Recovery Unit. The unit within DHS that bills and collects MA-EPD premiums.

Social Security Administration. A federal agency which administers the SSI, RSDI and Medicare programs.

Social Security Disability Insurance. SSDI is a benefit to disabled or blind individuals who have contributed to FICA. It may be discontinued if a person reaches a certain level of income. It is also referred to as Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI).

Supplemental Security Income. A program based on financial need operated by the Social Security Administration that provides monthly income to low income people who are age 65 or older, blind or disabled.

State-funded adoption assistance for children who do not qualify for federally funded IV-E adoption assistance.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administers the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This program provides federal matching funds to help states expand health care coverage for the nation's uninsured children.

A unit at DHS that determines disability in consultation with medical professionals appointed by the commissioner.

A person who is not a child's biological or adoptive parent but is the spouse of a child's biological or adoptive parent.

Loans, grants, scholarships, and work study funds to be used for educational and living expenses while attending school.

An adoption for which an agreement is made with the adoptive parents, guardian or conservator because of the special needs of a child who is certified eligible for adoption assistance.

A change in income from what a household reported on the previous year's tax forms.

A level of work activity and earnings, defined by the Social Security Administration.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture program that issues benefits in the form of electronic benefits to increase food purchasing power. Formerly known as "Food Support" or "Food Stamps."

A program based on financial need operated by the Social Security Administration that provides monthly income to low income people who are age 65 or older, blind or disabled.

A process which allows access to USCIS data to validate the immigration status of noncitizen applicants, or for enrollees who report a change in immigration status, for MA, RMA, and MinnesotaCare for Families with Children. Workers access the USCIS data through the Alien Status Verification System (ASVS).

An MA option that provides eligibility to some disabled children who live with their families.

Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act. An MA option that provides eligibility to some disabled children who live with their families.

A period of time a person may be physically absent from a residence but still considered to be in the household.

Notification sent to the client at least ten calendar days before the effective date of an agency action. Most adverse actions, such as denial, reduction, or termination of health care benefits, require ten-day notice.

A form of property ownership in which each owner of real property has an undivided interest in the property and is able to sell their share of the property without obtaining the permission of the other owners.

The former name of the statement of rights given to people who are asked to provide private or confidential data about themselves. This statement is now known as the Notice of Privacy Practices.

An annuity under which payments are scheduled to continue for a specified period of time, such as for 10 years, irrespective of the annuitant's lifetime.

A discontinuation of program participation and benefits. Also known as cancellation and closure.

The obligation of a person or organization other than MA or MinnesotaCare to pay for a person's medical expenses. Examples of TPL include group or private health insurance, auto insurance, worker's compensation, and personal liability insurance.

A person or entity other than the client pays for the cost of a medical expense.

A household consisting of an adult parent, the child of the adult parent who is a minor caretaker and the minor caretaker's child.

A federal government sponsored retirement defined contribution plan for federal employees. Congress established the TSP in the Federal Employees’ Retirement System Act of 1986. The purpose of a TSP is to provide retirement income. Contributions are held in individual accounts rather than in a trust fund, and employees usually have considerable say over how their funds are invested. Most thrift plans allow participants to borrow against the balances in their accounts or to make early withdrawals in cases of financial hardship.

Another term for a savings account or certificate of deposit (CD) held in a financial institution, usually a bank.

The part of the Social Security Act that authorizes establishing paternity and collecting child and medical support by the IV-D unit.

Federal funding for adoption assistance for children who meet IV-E requirements.

A national law that protects people from discrimination based on their race, color, or national origin for programs that receive federal financial assistance through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Transitional Medical Assistance. Up to four months of additional medical coverage provided to some people terminated from regular MA because of increased child or spousal support.

The legal obligation of a party responsible for an accident or injury to pay for the resulting costs.

Compensation awarded because of a lawsuit filed to recover costs related to an accident or injury.

Third Party Liability. The obligation of a person or organization other than MA or MinnesotaCare to pay for a person's medical expenses. Examples of TPL include group or private health insurance, auto insurance, worker's compensation, and personal liability insurance.

To cause right, title, or interest in real or personal property to pass from one person to another.

The entity who received a transferred asset. A transferee could be a person or a group of people, a corporation, a trust or some other legal entity recognized by law as having rights and duties.

The person who owned an asset at the time of the transfer. A transferor can be the individual who is subject to the transfer penalty, the individual's spouse, or both the individual and his or her spouse.

Up to 12 months of additional medical coverage provided to some people terminated from regular MA due to increased earnings, loss of earned income disregards, or a combination of loss of child/spousal support and increased earnings/loss of earned income disregards.

Up to four months of additional medical coverage provided to some people terminated from regular MA because of increased child or spousal support.

A Department of Defense health insurance program providing coverage to active-duty and non-active duty members of the armed forces and their dependents, and certain civilian employees. This program was formerly known as CHAMPUS.

A Department of Defense health insurance program providing Medicare supplement entitlement for Medicare-eligible military retirees and their dependents. To receive coverage a person must be over age 65 and have Medicare Part B.

Any arrangement in which a grantor transfers money or property to a trustee with the intention that it be held, managed or administered by the trustee for the benefit of certain designated persons.

The assets and undisbursed income held in a trust, also referred to as the trust principal, estate or res (Latin for the subject matter of a trust or will). Assets and undisbursed income held in a trust are owned by (titled to) the trust and are not owned by the client. The trust corpus of a trust, however, may be available to the client.

The formal document that creates a trust and contains the powers of the trustees and the rights of the beneficiaries. A trust instrument can be a will or a formal declaration of a trust. Sometimes referred to as the Trust Agreement.

Also known as Trust Corpus. Income and/or assets that form the main body of a trust. Assets or income in the trust corpus may be available to a person but the person no longer owns them.

The person or entity who manages a trust corpus. When two or more trustees manage trust funds at the same time, they are referred to as co-trustees.

Thrift Savings Plan. A federal government sponsored retirement defined contribution plan for federal employees. Congress established the TSP in the Federal Employees’ Retirement System Act of 1986. The purpose of a TSP is to provide retirement income. Contributions are held in individual accounts rather than in a trust fund, and employees usually have considerable say over how their funds are invested. Most thrift plans allow participants to borrow against the balances in their accounts or to make early withdrawals in cases of financial hardship.

Transition Year Medical Assistance. Up to 12 months of additional medical coverage provided to some people terminated from regular MA due to increased earnings, loss of earned income disregards, or a combination of loss of child/spousal support and increased earnings/loss of earned income disregards.

A person (other than the child of a foreign diplomat) born in one of the several States or in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands who has not renounced or otherwise lost his or her citizenship; or a person born outside of the United States to at least one U.S. citizen parent (sometimes referred to as a ’’derivative citizen’’); or a naturalized U.S. citizen.

The federal agency responsible for immigration and citizenship. This agency was formerly known as the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) and Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

A person born in American Samoa or Swains Island who does not derive U.S. citizenship from a parent or acquire it from a spouse. U.S. nationals are considered U.S. citizens for purposes of Social Security and for the citizenship documentation requirement under the federal Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005.

An IEVS tape exchange, containing Unemployment Insurance data, with the Minnesota Department of Economic Security completed monthly for enrollees and semi-monthly for applicants for federal programs.

Uniform Gift to Minors Act. Former name for the Uniform Transfer to Minors. Allows an adult to contribute to a custodial account in a minor's name without having to establish a trust or name a legal guardian. The minors can have securities bought and money invested in their names, while the custodian is responsible for managing the funds in the account. The custodian has a fiduciary duty to manage the account prudently, but once the minor reaches the age of majority, he/she has complete rights to the funds in the account. The assets are the legal property of the minor, and the parent has no legal control over the uses of the proceeds of the account. The Uniform Transfers to Minors Act supersedes The Uniform Gift to Minors Act.

Unemployment Insurance. A state cash payment made to some people who have lost their jobs. This program was formerly known as Reemployment Insurance in Minnesota.

Unearned Income Obligation. An amount added to premiums for MA-EPD clients who have unearned income. The UIO is .005 (one-half of one percent) of the unearned income.

Giving away, selling, conveying ownership or otherwise disposing of income or assets without receiving adequate compensation.

Health insurance that lacks coverage in two or more major areas of coverage as set by MinnesotaCare policy for children with income less than 200% FPG or children originally enrolled in the Children’s Health Plan.

Income that could be paid out of a trust to the beneficiary, but remains in the trust.

Term referring to people living in the U.S. without the knowledge or approval of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

An amount added to premiums for MA-EPD clients who have unearned income. The UIO is .005 (one-half of one percent) of the unearned income.

A state cash payment made to some people who have lost their jobs. This program was formerly known as Reemployment Insurance in Minnesota.

Former name for the Uniform Transfer to Minors. Allows an adult to contribute to a custodial account in a minor's name without having to establish a trust or name a legal guardian. The minors can have securities bought and money invested in their names, while the custodian is responsible for managing the funds in the account. The custodian has a fiduciary duty to manage the account prudently, but once the minor reaches the age of majority, he/she has complete rights to the funds in the account. The assets are the legal property of the minor, and the parent has no legal control over the uses of the proceeds of the account. The Uniform Transfers to Minors Act supersedes The Uniform Gift to Minors Act.

An Act which allows an adult to contribute to a custodial account in a minor's name without having to establish a trust or name a legal guardian. The minors can have securities bought and money invested in their names, while the custodian is responsible for managing the funds in the account. The custodian has a fiduciary duty to manage the account prudently, but once the minor reaches the age of majority, he/she has complete rights to the funds in the account. The assets are the legal property of the minor, and the parent has no legal control over the uses of the proceeds of the account. The Uniform Transfers to Minors Act supersedes The Uniform Gift to Minors Act.

An IEVS tape exchange of Unverified Unearned Income completed annually for recipients and monthly for applicants of federal programs. The source is the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports information such as dividends, interest, and lottery winnings.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The federal agency responsible for immigration and citizenship, formerly known as the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS). This agency was formerly known as Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

A type of annuity in which periodic payments vary according to income generated by assets in an underlying investment portfolio. Payment amounts may fluctuate because the annuity payments vary based upon the performance of the market.

The process and evidence used to establish accuracy or completeness of information from a client, third party, or authorized representative. Verification is also referred to as proof or documentation.

Benefits and services provided by the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) to people who have served in the U.S. armed forces and their dependents.

A document which allows the bearer to apply for entry to the U.S. in a certain classification. It does not grant the bearer the right to enter the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (BCBP) immigration inspectors determine admission into, length of stay and conditions of stay in, the U.S. at a port of entry. The information on a nonimmigrant visa only relates to when an individual may apply for entry into the U.S.

A mutual association of employees providing certain specified benefits to its members or their beneficiaries. It may be funded by the employees or their employer. Funds in the possession of the VEBA are held in trust for the payment of benefits. Typical benefits are life, sick, accident, and medical benefits. See IRS Voluntary Employees’Beneficiary Association for more information.

An IEVS tape exchange with the Minnesota Department of Economic Security completed quarterly for recipients and monthly for applicants of federal programs. It provides information on wages earned in Minnesota.

A suspension or change of a federal regulation, service limitation, or eligibility requirement.

The amount of income over the maintenance needs allowance that people eligible for SIS-EW must contribute toward the monthly cost of waiver services.

Workforce Investment Act. Federal legislation passed in 1998 to consolidate, coordinate, and improve employment, training, literacy, and vocational rehabilitation programs in the United States, and for other purposes.

Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program. A federal program authorized by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to provide nutritious food and nutrition education to low-income pregnant and postpartum women and their children.

An unearned income disregard available to some MA clients who are widows or widowers with a disability.

A federal program authorized by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to provide nutritious food and nutrition education to low-income pregnant and postpartum women and their children.

An employee of a county agency or MinnesotaCare Operations who determines initial and continued eligibility for the Minnesota Health Care Programs.

A state program providing payments and reimbursement of medical expenses for people injured on the job.

Federal legislation passed in 1998 to consolidate, coordinate, and improve employment, training, literacy, and vocational rehabilitation programs in the United States, and for other purposes.

All or part of a health care expense that the client will no longer be responsible to pay to a provider because the provider has decided to absorb the cost of the expense.

Glossary	Effective: September 1, 2012
Glossary S-Z	Archived: June 1, 2016 (Previous Versions)