SR 10-20 Dated 07/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

 

DFA SIGNATURE DATE:

May 28, 2010

OMBP SIGNATURE DATE:

June 2, 2010

FROM:

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, DFA Terry R. Smith

FROM:

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, OMBP Kathleen Dunn

AT (OFFICE):

Division of Family Assistance

TO:

DFA Supervisors

SUBJECT:

Medicaid for Employed Adults with Disabilities (MEAD) Premium Payments Now Processed by the Office of Medicaid Business & Policy (OMBP)

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2010

 

 

SUMMARY

 

This SR releases a change in the way premium payments are processed for Medicaid for Employed Adults with Disabilities (MEAD) medical assistance. As of July 1, 2010, the Office of Medicaid Business & Policy (OMBP) will be responsible for all aspects of processing MEAD premium payments.

 

FORMER POLICY

NEW POLICY

NH Healthy Kids Corporation (NHHKC) was responsible for:

�   explaining the MEAD premium process and requirements to MEAD recipients;

�   collecting and processing all MEAD premium payments;

�   determining good cause for failure to pay the premium;

�   notifying New HEIGHTS when the premium had not been paid without good cause so that appropriate action could be taken; and

�   notifying the District Office, as needed, once the MEAD-eligible individual restarted timely payments of their premiums.

Instead of NHHKC, OMBP will now be responsible for all aspects of processing MEAD premium payments.

FORMER PROCEDURE

NEW PROCEDURE

Previously MEAD premium payments were made out to "New Hampshire Healthy Kids" and mailed to:

NHHK

PO Box 9611

Manchester NH 03108-9611

MEAD premium payments must now be made out to "Treasurer, State of NH" and mailed to:

Department of Health and Human Services

Office of Finance - receipts/MEAD

129 Pleasant St

Concord NH 03301

 

POLICY

 

As of July 1, 2010, OMBP will be responsible for all of the aspects associated with processing MEAD premium payments, including:

 

�   explaining the MEAD premium process and requirements to MEAD recipients;

�   collecting and processing all MEAD premium payments;

�   determining good cause for failure to pay the premium;

�   entering appropriate sanctions into New HEIGHTS when the premium has not been paid without good cause; and

�   contacting the District Office to request the lifting of nonpayment of premium sanctions, if the MEAD-eligible individual begins timely repayment of the premiums.

 

NEW HEIGHTS SYSTEMS PROCEDURES AND IMPLEMENTATION

 

New HEIGHTS has been updated to incorporate the changes released in this SR as of the July 1, 2010 effective date as follows:

 

1. The MEAD Premium Nonpayment Info screen in New HEIGHTS has been modified so that selected OMBP staff can enter and save failure to pay MEAD premiums information.

2. Once nonpayment information has been added and saved, New HEIGHTS will automatically run eligibility in the nightly batch to close MEAD after a 10 day Advance Notice Period.

3. When the individual has resolved the nonpayment situation, OMBP staff will alert the appropriate District Office Supervisor to take action to reopen the MEAD AG (no change in procedure).

 

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

 

Revised Adult Assistance Manual Topics

 

Section 210.13  MEAD Premium Requirements

Section 210.15  Good Cause for Non-Payment of MEAD Premiums

Section 210.19  Termination of MEAD

 

IMPLEMENTATION

 

The policy released in this SR is effective July 1, 2010.

 

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

 

Clients were notified of the changes in a letter sent out by OMBP on April 13, 2010. The letter has been attached to this SR for reference.

 

TRAINING

 

No training is planned or needed.

 

DISPOSITION

 

This SR may be destroyed or deleted after its contents have been noted and the revised manual topics released by this SR have been posted to the On-line manuals.

 

DISTRIBUTION

 

This SR will be distributed according to the electronic distribution list for Division of Family Assistance policy releases. This SR, and revised On-Line Manuals, will be available for agency staff in the On-Line Manual Library, and for public access on the Internet at http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/DHHS/DFA/LIBRARY, effective June 28, 2010. Additionally, this SR, and printed pages with posting instructions, will be distributed under separate cover to all internal hard copy holders of the Adult Assistance Manual.

 

DFA/JT:s