State of Wisconsin
Department of Health Services

Release 24-02
August 22, 2024

View History

24.6 Changes During the Deductible Period

24.6.1 Income or Deduction Changes

If there are income or deduction changes during the Medicaid deductible period, that result in a decrease in the deductible amount, recalculate the Medicaid deductible amount. Beginning July 1, 2020, the deductible amount will no longer be increased when an unmet deductible assistance group has an increase in income or a decrease in deductions. Once a deductible period and deductible amount are determined and the member has been notified of his or her deductible amount, the deductible amount will never increase during the same deductible period.

At the time of initially determining a deductible period, the amount of the deductible must be determined by taking into account all changes in income, deductions and household composition known at the time the deductible is created.

To determine the amount of a decreased deductible:

  1. Add together the monthly excess income of the months of the Medicaid deductible period that have already gone by.
  2. Subtract the medically needy income limit from the new monthly income. This will give the excess income for the month when the income changed.
  3. Using prospective net income, find the excess income of the months in the deductible period after the month when income changed.
  4. Add the results of #1, #2, and #3.
Example 1:

Cicely applied for Medicaid in July. She had excess income of $20 a month. Her Medicaid deductible was $120. In November she reports a pay decrease of $10 a month. Now you must recalculate her Medicaid deductible.

  1. Add together the excess income of months July through October. The result is $80.
  2. Calculate her November excess income. The result is excess income of $10.
  3. Prospective income for December is $10.
  4. Cicely's new Medicaid deductible: $80 + $10 + $10 = $100.

If the income change results in lower excess income in the month of change, the applicantA person who has submitted a request for coverage for whom no decision has been made regarding eligibility can choose to:

  1. Recalculate the Medicaid deductible, or
  2. Create a new deductible period.
Example 2:

Winston goes from full time to part time employment in the fourth month of his Medicaid deductible period. He still has excess income, but it is lower than in the previous three months. He can choose either to recalculate his Medicaid deductible or to have a new deductible period.

If he recalculates, the resulting deductible will be lower than the previous one.

His other choice is to begin a new 6-month deductible period. He may want to do this if the new deductible is even lower than the recalculated one. If he makes this choice, he will forfeit any eligibility he might have acquired in the previous deductible period if he had met the previous deductible.

If the income change results in no excess income the applicant has an additional choice:

  1. Recalculate the deductible.
  2. Create a new deductible period.
  3. Begin eligibility immediately.
Example 3: If Winston has no excess income in the month his income drops, and if his prospective monthly income shows no excess income, he can choose to begin eligibility immediately. In choosing this, he will forfeit the eligibility he would have had in the prior deductible period if he had met the prior deductible.

24.6.2 Group Size Changes

When the group size is different on the last day of the month from what it was on the last day of the previous month, you must recalculate the deductible if the result is a decrease in the deductible amount. Beginning July 1, 2020, the deductible amount may no longer be increased when an unmet deductible assistance group has a change in group size. Once a deductible period and deductible amount are established, the deductible amount will never increase during the same deductible period. Deductible amounts may be decreased due to changes in group size. Compare the new group's income with the new group's medically needy income limit. If there is excess monthly income, recalculate the deductible in the same way as for income changes (see Section 24.6.1 Income or Deduction Changes).

Example 4:

John and Sally are married and reside together. Sally is disabled and has applied for Medicaid. Sally meets all Medicaid eligibility requirements except for the fact she and her husband have excess income and would have to meet a deductible before Sally can be certified for Medicaid. The deductible period is January through June and the deductible amount is based on a 2 person fiscal test group. On March 21, John moves out of the house to go live with his brother in another state. If John is still out of the house on March 31, Sally’s deductible must be recalculated using the smaller group size (one person fiscal test group) as of March 1.

If after subtracting John’s income the amount of excess income above the new income limit for the group of one is lower than it was for the group of 2, use the lower income and deductible amount to recalculate Sally’s deductible. However, if the amount of excess income above the income limit for a group of one is higher than what it was for the group size 2, and using that amount would increase the amount of the deductible, leave the deductible amount unchanged.

24.6.3 Asset Changes

If the fiscal test group acquires new assets during the deductible period, wait until the last day of the month in which it acquired the assets.  If the group has excess assets on the last day of the month, the group is not eligible for that month. Excess income may still be calculated during the dates the individual is ineligible due to assets, however the individual can only be certified for Medicaid during the dates he or she has assets below the asset limit.  

24.6.4 Non-Financial Changes

If there is a change in non-financial eligibility during the deductible period excess income may still be calculated during the dates the individual is non-financially ineligible, however the individual can only be certified for Medicaid during the dates he or she is/was non-financially eligible.

This page last updated in Release Number: 20-03
Release Date: 08/03/2020
Effective Date: 07/01/2020


The information concerning the Medicaid program provided in this handbook release is published in accordance with: Titles XI and XIX of the Social Security Act; Parts 430 through 481 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations; Chapters 46 and 49 of the Wisconsin Statutes; and Chapters HA 3, DHS 2, 10 and 101 through 109 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.

Notice: The content within this manual is the sole responsibility of the State of Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (DHS). This site will link to sites outside of DHS where appropriate. DHS is in no way responsible for the content of sites outside of DHS.

Publication Number: P-10030