The changed guidelines will call for married couples’ countable assets to be examined closely by the Division of Medical Assistance (DMA). It will be a requirement for MassHealth members to use their assets to pay for the cost of care before tax dollars are spent on the insured members’ care. For this requirement, a married couple’s countable assets, not including the home, will be looked at to determine what portion the community-based spouse may retain.

Also, DMA submitted a waiver application to the Federal Government to receive permission to alter the eligibility guidelines for people applying to MassHealth for institutional long-term care services. Currently the proposed changes have not been implemented as of yet; however, if the Federal Government approves the waiver, severe changes will be made to the look-back period regulations. This change will permit MassHealth to examine a potential member’s look-back period to determine whether the individual applying for benefits has transferred assets for less than fair market value during that time. If it is determined that the applicant transferred assets below fair market value within the slated look-back period, DMA will impose a penalty period during which MassHealth will not pay for institutional long-term care services.

While this issue is too great to detail fully in a paragraph or two, I invite you to watch my cable show, at the Wilbraham Senior Center on Friday, October 17, 2003, at 10 a.m., to learn more about the changes to MassHealth. The episode airing on the 17th features my special guest, State Representative Daniel Keenan, Chair of the House Committee on Medicaid, and myself discussing the new changes affecting Medicaid/MassHealth members in further detail.