4.6.2 Stepparent

Don't count the income Income is anything you receive in cash or in kind that you can use to meet your needs for food, clothing, and shelter. of a stepparent when you are determining MA eligibility of a stepchild(ren) only.

Count the net income of the legal parent with whom the child(ren) is living when you are determining the child(ren)'s financial eligibility.

4.6.2.1 Procedure

Step 1:

Determine the fiscal group ( AFDC-Related Fiscal Group Unit ) and apply the AFDC-Related income tests (8.1.4).

If they pass the categorically needy income test, certify all of the non-financially eligible members in the fiscal group.  If they fail the categorically needy tests, go to Step 2.

Step 2:

If there are children-in-common, establish a fiscal group composed of them and their two parents.  Deduct from the stepchild(ren)'s legal parent's net income an amount which when added to the stepchild(ren)'s net income equals the AFDC-Related categorically needy income limit appropriate for a group composed of the number of stepchildren in the household.  Count all remaining net income of this fiscal group and test for regular MA eligibility.

If they fail a regular MA categorically needy test, go to Chapter 5.2 and test them for Healthy Start eligibility.

Step 3:

Determine the stepchild(ren)'s fiscal group (AFDC-Related Fiscal Group Unit).  Deduct from the stepchild(ren)'s legal parent's net income and amount which when added to the net income of the spouse and child(ren)-in-common equals the AFDC-Related categorically needy income limit appropriate for a group composed of the spouse and the child(ren)-in-common.  Count all the remaining net income of this fiscal group and test for regular MA eligibility.

If they fail a regular MA categorically needy test, go to Chapter 5.2 and test them for Healthy Start eligibility.

This page last updated in Release Number : 02-01

Release Date: 01/01/01

Effective Date: 10/01/01