18.3.5  RMA Financial Eligibility

18.3.5.1  Special Procedure for RCA Recipients Ineligible for Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus
18.3.5.2  RMA Applicants Not Receiving RCA
18.3.5.3  Countable Income
18.3.5.4  Disregarded Income
18.3.5.5  Spend-Down
18.3.5.6  Countable Assets

18.3.5.1 Special Procedure for RCA Recipients Ineligible for Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus

All recipients of RCARefugee Cash Assistance who are not eligible for Medical Assistance Also known as Medicaid, Title 19 or MA, a state-federal program that provides health care coverage to low-income elderly, blind, and disabled individuals. In Wisconsin, low-income individuals who do not qualify for Medical Assistance may qualify for BadgerCare Plus. are considered financially eligible for RMARefugee Medical Assistance. This means that an RCA recipient who is ineligible for Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus and who applies for RMA does not need to be financially tested for RMA; they are considered automatically financially eligible for RMA based on the fact that they met the RCA financial eligibility criteria.

18.3.5.2 RMA Applicants Not Receiving RCA

In contrast to RCA recipients who apply for RMA (see 18.3.5.1), RMA applicants who are not receiving RCA do need to be tested financially. To be eligible for RMA, these applicants need to meet both the income and asset tests of the AFDC-related medically needy financial eligibility criteria.  

18.3.5.3 Countable Income

Count only the income available on the date of application, not prospectively.  Do not take into consideration income changes that occur between the filing date and the application processing date when determining RMA financial eligibility. (Note that this policy significantly differs from Medicaid policy).  Such employment income is disregarded so as not to discourage refugees from seeking and finding early employment.

In some cases the husband and wife in an assistance group An individual or group of individuals whose income and assets are tested together when applying for public benefit programs, including Refugee Cash and Medical Assistance. Criteria for determining assistance groups can vary between different public benefit programs. may have different arrival dates.  If this is the case, consider any countable income of the first-arrived spouse (such as employment earnings) when determining RMA eligibility for the group based on entry of the newly-arriving spouse.  The newly-arrived spouse would remain eligible for RMA through the end of his or her 8 month RMA eligibility period. (See 18.2.4.2)

18.3.5.4 Disregarded Income

All earned and unearned income of RMA assistance group An individual or group of individuals whose income and assets are tested together when applying for public benefit programs, including Refugee Cash and Medical Assistance. Criteria for determining assistance groups can vary between different public benefit programs. members is counted toward the AFDC-related medically needy financial eligibility criteria with the exception of the income listed in the Medicaid Eligibility Handbook 15.3.

Note in particular that Department of State Refugee Reception & Placement (R&P) assistance payments “One-time” payments made to refugees during their first thirty days in the U.S. The purpose of the payment is to help refugees with the expenses of settling into a new home. Payments can be made by the Volag on the refugee’s behalf to pay expenses (rent and household items) or can be issued directly to the refugee. cash income and RCA payments are disregarded.

18.3.5.5 Spend-Down

If an RMA assistance group An individual or group of individuals whose income and assets are tested together when applying for public benefit programs, including Refugee Cash and Medical Assistance. Criteria for determining assistance groups can vary between different public benefit programs. fails the medically needy income test because their net income exceeds the medically needy income limit, the group can still qualify for RMA if they can meet a Medicaid deductible.  Calculate the group’s deductible by applying the guidelines in Medicaid Eligibility Handbook 24.5.

18.3.5.6 Countable Assets

Follow Wisconsin’s Medicaid policy regarding the types of assets that should be counted and how to determine if an asset is available when determining an RMA assistance group’s assets.

The assistance group’s assets must be within the AFDC-related medically needy asset limit before any member of that group can qualify for RMA.

History: There are no previous versions of this policy.