State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Release 24-02 August 22, 2024

View History

29.1 Katie Beckett

Katie Beckett Medicaid is a special eligibility pathway for children under 19 who have certain health care needs and live at home. Katie Beckett provides Medicaid health care coverage for children who qualify. Katie Beckett Medicaid does not deem assets and income from parents or legal guardians.

To qualify for Katie Beckett Medicaid, a child must:

• Be under age 19.
• Meet the Social Security Administration's definition of "disabled."
• Be a U.S. citizen or qualifying immigrant.
• Be a Wisconsin resident.
• Live at home, in a foster care setting, or in another eligible community-based setting.
• Require the kind of care typically provided by a hospital, SNFSkilled Nursing Facility, ICFIntermediate Care Facility, or long-term care facility.
• Be able to receive safe and appropriate care at home.
• Have income below the Institutions Categorically Needy income limit (see Section 39.4.1 Elderly, Blind, or Disabled Assets and Income Table). The only income used in this calculation is the child’s income. There is no asset test for children.
• Not require care at home that would cost more than the care they would receive in a long-term care facility covered by Medicaid.

Members enrolled in Katie Beckett Medicaid are only subject to estate recovery when they have resided in a hospital or nursing home for 30 or more continuous days. Only the child’s estate (not the parent’s or legal guardian’s) is subject to estate recovery requirements. See SECTION 22.1 ESTATE RECOVERY for the criteria used to determine whether services are recoverable. 

Families may contact Katie Beckett Medicaid Central Office by:

• Calling 888-786-3246.
• Emailing DHSKatieBeckett@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
• Faxing information to 888-786-3261.
• Writing to the following address:
  
  Katie Beckett 
  Division of Medicaid Services
  Bureau of Children’s Services
  1 West Wilson Street, Room 418
  Madison, WI 53707

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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