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Effective: December 1, 2006 |
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17.10ar1 - Determining Household Size for MinnesotaCare (Archive) |
Archived: October 1, 2009 |
Determining the MinnesotaCare (MCRE) household size involves:
l Determining who lives together.
l The relationships between the people who live together.
l Determining who must be in a MCRE household together.
Once the MCRE household is established, determine who must apply in the household based on the All or Nothing Rule.
People with parental and marital relationships are in the same MCRE household which determines the household size.
l Although foster parents, relative caretakers, and legal guardians do not have parental or marital relationship, see Non-Parent Caretaker for instructions on determining the household size when they apply for children in their home.
Include people who have the following parental and marital relationships to other people living with them in a MCRE household:
l Parental Relationship.
n Parent and Stepparent.
Note: A stepparent is always included in a stepchild’s household size, even if the biological or adoptive parent is not in the home.
Example:
George and Martha are a married couple. George’s 13-year-old son and Martha’s nine-year-old daughter, Sarah, both live with them.
Action:
George and Martha have a marital relationship. They each have a parental relationship with their children. They are all four in a MCRE household together. They all have a household size of four.
Martha moves out of the household, but her daughter remains in the care of George.
Action:
Sarah is still included in George's and his son’s MCRE household because George is still her stepparent. The household size is three.
l Children (birth to 21).
n Children must live in the household at least 50% of the time to be included in the household composition, except in the case of temporary absence. Base determination of a child’s home on current circumstances. Use the custody information from a court order only in contested cases.
Example:
John and his daughter Martha enroll in MCRE. Martha’s mother, June, applies and lists Martha as living in her home. June provides a court order showing that she has physical custody of Martha and that Martha is not in John’s home at least 50% of the time.
Action:
Advise John that you have information showing that Martha does not live in his home at least 50% of the time and Martha will be removed from his case.
Count Martha as a member of June’s household until the court order is changed or both parents agree in writing that Martha’s living situation has changed. Do not require either parent to go to court as a condition of eligibility.
n In cases where custody alternates between parents, the child can be in both parent’s household, however he/she can only be enrolled in one household. Allow the parents to choose which household will enroll the child.
Example:
Marvin and Joan are divorced and have joint custody of their daughter Becky. Becky alternates living with Marvin one week and with Joan the next. Time in each household is exactly equal throughout the year. Joan and Marvin each apply for MCRE.
Action:
Becky is considered a part of both households and is counted in each household size. Allow Marvin and Joan to choose with which household Becky will receive coverage.
n Consider adopted children to be members of the household beginning on the first day of the month in which they are placed for adoption.
Example:
Bohde is married to Sonia. They have adopted 10-month-old triplets.
Action:
Bohde and Sonia have a marital relationship. They both have a parental relationship to the triplets. They are one MCRE household with a household size of five.
n Unborn child in a pregnant woman's household size.
Note: More than one unborn child can be included in the household size if the multiple pregnancy is verified.
Example:
Debra and Mark, an unmarried couple, live together and are expecting a child. They do not anticipate a multiple birth.
Action:
Debra and Mark do not have a marital relationship. Mark will not have a parental relationship until the baby is born and paternity is established. Debra is a MCRE household on her own with a household size of two. Mark is a separate MCRE household with a household size of one.
l Marital Relationship: Spouse.
Example:
Lester and Leona are living together but are not married.
Action:
Lester and Leona are each their own MCRE household with a household size of one.
Lester finally talks Leona into marching down the aisle. They are married!
Action:
Lester and Leona now have a marital relationship and are in the same MCRE household with a household size of two.
l If two people in a household each have a parental or marital relationship to a third household member, those people will be in the same household even if they do not have a parental or marital relationship with each other. They are all included in the same MCRE household.
Example:
Bob and Sue, an unmarried couple, live with their seven-year-old daughter, Beatrice.
Action:
Bob has a parental relationship with Beatrice, as does Sue. Sue and Bob do not have a marital or parental relationship with one another but because both have a parental relationship to Beatrice, they are included in the same MCRE household. They all have a household size of three.
Example:
Marsha lives with her two minor children and her friend Tim, who is not the children's father.
Action:
Marsha has a parental relationship with her children. Marsha and her children are a MCRE household and have a household size of three.
Tim does not have a parental or marital relationship with anyone in the household. Tim is his own MCRE household with a household size of one.
The following are exceptions from standard MCRE household composition and household size:
l Three-Generation Households. These are households in which you have a grandparent, minor parent and minor parent’s child in the same living situation. There are special steps to determine household composition of a Three-Generation Household which are outlined in this chapter.
l Emancipated minors. The emancipated minor’s spouse and their children must be separate households from the minor's parents and siblings.
Example:
Ann, age 17, her husband Steve, and their son Mark live with Ann's parents.
Action:
Ann and Steve have a marital relationship, which qualifies Ann as an emancipated minor. They have a parental relationship with Mark. Ann, Steve and Mark are a MCRE household together and have a household size of three.
Ann’s parents, who have a marital relationship, would be their own MCRE household. They each have a household size of two.
l Children age 21 and over, even if they are financially dependent on the parents they live with, are not counted in the parent’s household.
Example:
Katie, age 22, lives with her parents. Katie is in college. Her parents still claim her as a dependent for tax purposes because they are supporting her while she is in school.
Action:
Katie is a MCRE household of her own, despite living with her parents and being financially dependent on them. She has a household size of one.
Katie’s parents have a marital relationship and are in a MCRE household together. They have a household size of two.
l Children in secure juvenile detention facilities, state owned and operated juvenile facilities and county owned and operated secure juvenile facilities are not included in the MinnesotaCare household of their parents or siblings.
Exception: Children already enrolled in MCRE may remain part of the MCRE household until the next renewal.
l People incarcerated in correction/penal institutions and government controlled halfway houses are not included in MCRE households even if there was a marital or parental relationship.
Exception: Enrollees who are incarcerated may remain part of the household until the next renewal.
l Relatives age 18 or older, who would be a relative caretaker but because the minor child’s biological or adoptive parents, stepparents, or legal guardians also live in the home they do not have primary responsibility for a minor child. These relatives are not included in the MCRE household of the child. See Non-Parent Caretaker for more information.
Example:
Betty and her minor child Mark live with Mary, who is Mark's aunt. Mary has taken over Mark’s caretaking and pays all his bills, so that Betty can focus on playing in a rock band.
Action:
Betty has a parental relationship to Mark and lives in the household, therefore Mary cannot be Mark’s relative caretaker. Betty and Mark are a MCRE household together with a household size of two.
Mary is a separate MCRE household with a household size of one.
l Foster children are not included in a foster parent's household, unless placed in the home for adoption or the foster parents choose to include the foster children in their household. For more info on foster children see Non-Parent Caretakers.
Example:
Louis has been placed in the Johnson household as a foster child. This is not an adoptive placement. Louis receives MA and the Johnsons do not wish to apply for MCRE for him.
Action:
Louis is not considered part of the Johnson's MCRE household or in their household size.